


While Heather Was Gone

by StarrieNightSky



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Acts of Kindness, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alcoholism, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Android and Human Friendships, Big brother Connor, Bullying, Child Abandonment, Cole Anderson is a pure boi in my fic and needs more love in the fandom, Cole is Alive AU, Cole is really naive, Connor is kinda an ass at first, Depression, Disabled Character, Eventual Fluff, Family Angst, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Friendship, Hank is not the best father, Hurt/Comfort, I promise, Moral Dilemmas, Multi, Other, Parent-Child Relationship, Suicidal Thoughts, Summer for sure, but he tries his damndest to be, but not for long, but will learn to emotion later on, this hiatus is killing me but I need more time guys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-05-16 05:18:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 68,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14805107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarrieNightSky/pseuds/StarrieNightSky
Summary: After a traumatic car accident, resulting in the loss of his wife, Hank has a rough time coping and taking care of his only son. With an android revolution on the horizon and his new partner Connor being a constant pain in the ass, can Hank Anderson learn to move on and solve this problem? Or will his guilt consume him before he learns to live again for Cole?An Alternate Universe in which everything is almost the same, except Cole Anderson is alive.





	1. The Accident

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone, thanks for clicking to read! :) I'm so excited to officially get this AU started! The first chapter is sort of an introduction so I can get my bearings for the rest of this fanfic, but I promise the second chapter will be even better! I hope you guys enjoy and be sure to leave a kudos if you liked what you read, and a comment would be very much appreciated. ^.^
> 
> Alright, now on to reading!

October 11th, 2035

7:12 AM

Hank’s House.

 

256 Red Ice cases and a couple cups of espressos was enough to keep Lieutenant Hank Anderson from going to sleep early the previous night. However, now the man in question slept soundly by himself, sitting face first on the kitchen table with a troubled, but sleepy expression on his face. The poor man almost dreaded waking up that morning, for he knew Captain Fowler would get on his ass for being even a millisecond late. Hank had a reputation to uphold after all, being the newest Lieutenant in the Red Ice Task Force. The man grumbled in his sleep, willing himself to wake up despite the peacefulness of slumber attempting to seduce him back into his natural state.

 

After waking up, the gruff man yawned like a bear would after getting out of hibernation. He rubbed his chin and flinched at the scratchiness of his stubble. Boy did he need to shave. Before Hank could make a move to the nearest bathroom, a woman in her late 40s came out of the master bedroom with a basket full of clothing and had an apron tied around her waist. “Hi honey!” the woman greeted cheerfully as she passed by Hank to give him a quick peck on the cheek. Hank flushed at his wife’s sweet gesture.

 

“Hey darlin’, how’d you sleep last night without me?” Hank asked, a little bit ashamed that he was too tired to make the effort to sleep with his lover. The woman scoffed, not caring that her husband was too tired to be with her the previous night, but that was only because she knew how hard her adoring husband worked.

 

“Sweetie, how many times do I have to tell you? I understand your new position has you swamped with new responsibilities.” Hank’s wife replied with a gentle expression as she put the basket of clothing on the kitchen counter. Hank wrapped his arms around his wife, nuzzling his broad face in the crook of her shoulder.

 

“I know, Heather. Its just I feel kinda bad ya know? You work yourself to death every day for us, and so do I, and it’s just been tough with the Task Force getting on my ass-”

“Hank. I understand.” Heather assured firmly, kissing him again on the lips. Hank kissed back with equal amounts of passion until Heather was the one who broke the kiss. The Lieutenant glanced at the pan next to the stove and beamed a huge smile. “No way, you're making pancakes?” Hank asked with excitement in his voice. “Oh, so you noticed huh? Today’s a special day, so I’m making a special breakfast.” Heather smirked, knowing that her world-famous pancakes were her husband’s biggest weakness. She cupped her husband’s face and gave him a look of admiration before pulling away to get the dishes washed and cleaned.

 

Hank stared at his wife before clearing up the kitchen table of the case files he worked on so his family could have breakfast there.

“Cole has school today.” Heather sighed, knowing that her little boy was already growing up so fast. Hank smiled at the thought of his only son, and he couldn’t help but imagine what a fine boy he could turn out to be.

“Do you want me to wake him?” The police Lieutenant asked, already finished with clearing up the table.

“Sure hon, just make sure Cole freshens up before coming to eat breakfast! Today is picture day so he needs to look his absolute best.” Heather chuckled; laughing at the time Cole went to school with a horrible case of ‘bad hair day’ when it was picture day for his class last year. The woman did feel bad for him, but despite the crippling embarrassment, he went and took that picture, bad hair and all, and wore it like a badge of honor. His mother was sure that if Cole kept this attitude up, he’d win the Class Clown award by the end of first grade.

 

As his wife was helping to clean the kitchen before making breakfast, Hank stood in front of his son’s room, unsure of how to wake him. Like himself, Cole was a heavy sleeper, so getting him to wake up was a challenge all on its own. Chuckling to himself at the thought, the man quietly opened the door, making sure not to wake him up right away. Cole snored peacefully, head draped on his pillow, and drool leaking from his mouth. ‘Yup, he’s quite the heavy sleeper’ Hank thought to himself as he sat on his son’s bed. Cole’s entire room showcased the kind of kid he was; there were glow stars on the ceiling that Heather insisted on getting for him, posters of Cole’s favorite Marvel and DC superheroes, and his father’s most prized possession: his retro comic book collection dating all the way back to the 1950s. Hank had a hard time letting go of it since it’s even been a huge part of his childhood, but when Cole was born, he knew that one day, he’d have to give up the comic book collection for his son to keep. Most of these comics aren’t even available to read anymore, so Hank made his son promise to never _ever_ let anyone borrow them, touch them, or even look at them other than him and himself.

 

Cole stirred in his sleep, sensing his father’s presence even before he had a chance to speak. Hank gently shook his son’s shoulder.

“Hey champ, its time to get up,” Hank whispered, not wanting to startle him. Immediately after having said that, the boy groaned in annoyance, covering his head with the mountain of blankets that surrounded him. Hank smiled at his son’s un-eagerness to get up, but as his wife told him, today was pretty important.

“Aw champ, come on! Don’t ya want to meet up with your friends before school starts?”

“Just gimme five more minutes!” Cole complained like the child he was. Hank shook his head in disapproval. Suddenly, Hank got an idea. He got up from his son’s bed and dramatically walked towards the bedroom door. “Alrighty then, son. I guess I’m going to have to tell mommy that she can’t make her world famous delicious pancakes that she was going to make for you this morning.” Hank mused in a dramatic tone. As soon as he said that, the little boy came out of his blanket cocoon and started jumping around. “Mom made pancakes?! Oh no please don’t tell her to stop I’m up, I’m up!” Cole beamed in an excited, perhaps a bit hyperactive, tone.

“Hehe, that’s what I thought you ol’ goof.” Hank affectionately rubbed his son’s head.

 

“Honey, don’t forget to help clear the driveway!” Heather called whilst flipping pancakes in the kitchen. Hank grumbled at that notion. He hates doing that chore every single morning, but hey, living in Detroit comes with a lot of snow and tears.

 

“I’m on my way sweetheart, just give me a sec!” Hank then grabbed his son by the belly and carried him around the house, Cole laughing all the way through. Heather turned around to see her two boys just messing around and playing with each other, and she couldn’t help but chuckle. She felt like she was raising two children instead of one with the way her husband acted, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Eventually, Heather served breakfast and of course, her two boys gobbled on the pancakes like those hungry-hungry hippo games from the early 2000s. The three soon settled into their usual routine. Heather would take a shower as usual and get in her scrubs for work. Hank put on his police lieutenants uniform, along with shaving the ever-present stubble on his chin until he was clean-shaven. And finally, Cole brushed his teeth (with a little help from his mom) along with combing his hair and getting dressed (his mother also helped him out with those pursuits).

 

After the three were all set up, Hank went to the key rack in the kitchen to get the keys to his car.

“Ready to go you two?” Hank questioned his family. Heather had Cole in her arms, all dressed up and ready to go for the day, but he was sleeping on her shoulder. “Yes, we’re ready, but I think our son here wants a few more minutes of snooze time.” The woman sighed, holding her son close.

 

Hank smiled and just went with it. “Aw well, what will a little more sleep hurt? He can sleep in the back.” He suggested. Heather made a sound of approval and the three walked outside with the sleet and snow. Heather’s yellow scarf moved with the wind as she placed her son in the car, careful not to bump his head in the car window. Hank rubbed his hands together, visibly shaking.

 

“God fucking dammit it’s freezing. Are you sure it’s safe to drive in this weather?” He asked cautiously. Heather almost had a hunch that it wouldn’t be wise to drive in this weather, but she quickly shook off the ominous feeling.

 

“I’m sure it’s fine! I mean, when isn’t it cold in Detroit anyway?” She rationalized. Hank was about to retort, but she made a good point. “Yeah that’s silly, we’ll be fine, and I’ve driven in worse conditions.” He joked, but it was true. As a police Lieutenant, he’s had to drive in below 0-degree weather, and oftentimes those were car chases. Hank had full confidence in his driving skills. The two entered the car, with Heather next to her husband. Hank was about to start the car until his wife grabbed his hand.

 

Hank blushed, feeling 20 all over again. Hank met Heather in high school, and they’ve been together for almost 34 years. Heather didn’t want to have a child until the both of them finished college, but with Hank’s job, and Heather’s nursing career, the two had to wait a little while longer. The poor woman thought that she was too old to have any children, but thanks to the recent medical advances, she was able to safely have a child despite her age. The couple had never been so happy; finally having the child they dreamed of after so long.

 

Hank held Heather’s hand back, rubbing her thumb with his. “Hey buttercup, you gonna let me drive?” Hank flirted. Heather smiled, but right after her face turned serious.

 

“Stay safe today okay? I know your role as Lieutenant keeps you busy, but I want you to take care of yourself. I don’t know what I’d do if…” Heather didn’t dare finish that sentence. Hank frowned and looked straight at his wife. Goddamn, he loved her so much…

 

“Don’t worry hon, I promise I will stay safe. I swear I will be there for you. And for Cole.” He starred at the sleeping child, snoring peacefully. The blonde smiled at her husband, and let go of his hand.

 

“That’s more than enough for me. Alright, let's go.”

 

Hank turned on the ignition and started driving to Cole’s school. The schools of 2034 have changed drastically over the years. From high school onwards, all the teachers are androids, with human supervisors. Thankfully, Cole will have human interaction all through elementary school; at least until CyberLife decides to create android pre schoolteachers. Hank honestly didn’t mind androids all that much, but he did mind the collateral damage they cause to the economy. Some of his old teachers had to retire early because of the new android age. Hank tried to get his mind off the social situations of his era and focus on driving.

 

Before Hank knew it though, time seemed to stop. Hank’s car began acting strangely; the old thing was swerving a bit to the left lane. That’s when he realized something horrific. The entire street was frozen over from last night, and there was already traffic up ahead. Hank was already going above 35 mph, so his car will go even faster since the street is frozen.

 

“Hank, what’s going on?!” Heather trembled. Hank looked just as fearful as his wife, and now his wheel wouldn’t even turn.

 

“The street is frozen over, I’m going to stop the car!” Hank warned, pressing on the break. Despite his quick reflexes, the car kept going at the same speed, and he was still heading directly towards traffic.

 

“Goddamn it. Shit! _FUCK_!” Without thinking, Hank turned the car sharply. The commotion caused Hank and Heather to scream, waking up Cole. This caused the car to flip horizontally, and consequently land on a nearby ditch. The crash caused Hank to be thrown out of the driver’s seat, and land directly head-first on the street. Hank lost consciousness.

 

After about 5 minutes, Hank woke up, seeing double now, with no clear view of what was going on. He bled on his shoulder and probably broke a few ribs. His expression contorted with terror when the full scope of the situation finally set in. In a blind panic, he ran towards the crash site.

 

“HEATHER! COLE!” He screamed in agony. He collapsed near the crash site and attempted to access the situation. The entire car was destroyed, and it was only a matter of time before the car caught on fire. Inside the passenger seat, Hank saw his unconscious son, but his leg was demolished from the crash, crushed completely.

 

“Cole! Hold on son, I’ll get you out!” Hank sobbed. Hank attempted to pull his son from the passenger seat until a first responder showed up in front of him. “We’ll take care of this sir, please step away from the crash!” He stated firmly.

“GOD, DAMN IT MY WIFE AND SON ARE IN THERE!” Hank bellowed with agony and fear. It only took a second later for Hank to realize that a fire truck and ambulance had already arrived. It seems like there were many witnesses because help had already arrived…

 

Time started again, with the fiery explosion from his car.

 

* * *

 

 8:43 PM

St. John’s Hospital.

 

Hank sat in the waiting room, restless and spiteful. How much longer did he have to wait, he wondered? Heather was in surgery, but since a human couldn’t come in on time to perform it, an android took his place. Hank was never a big believer in God, but here he was praying that this android could save his lover. After two more minutes, two medical professionals came out of the surgical residence, with forlorn looks on their face. The two were human, but it was clear to Hank that they were only here to deliver the news. Whether that news was good or bad, he didn’t know at the time, but he was about to find out.

 

“Is she okay?! Please tell me she’s okay! I… I can’t lose her..!” Hank has never felt more vulnerable in his life. She had to be okay, the universe couldn’t be so cruel to take her away from him. It just couldn’t…

 

The two men didn’t comment right away, but they soon gave their verdict. “She suffered 3rd-degree burn wounds and broke several bones in her body. We’ve done all that we can with the medical staff that was offered to us. She’s alive… But its unlikely she will make it through the night…”

 

Those words shot through Hank’s heart like an arrow. ‘She… She’s going to die..?’ he agonized internally. The man fell to his knees, tears spilling out of his dull blue eyes. ‘This can’t be happening… This can’t be happening’ Hank repeated in his head. The two medical assistants looked at the broken man with pity.

 

“If it’s any consolation, your son is alive.” One of them said. Hank shot up from his defeated position when he heard the words Cole and Alive in the same sentence. “Oh my god… Thank fuck!” He sobbed, leaning on the nearest wall.

 

“We had to amputate one of his legs, however… He will need a prosthetic for the rest of his life.” The man in scrubs declared solemnly. Hank’s heart stopped. The mere thought of Cole needing a prosthetic was enough to drive Hank over the edge. He ran to the nearest bathroom and vomited.

 

* * *

 

 9:02 PM

Heather’s Room.

 

“She’s in there.” An android nurse informed, leaving Hank to his own devices. Hank didn’t know how to approach his own wife. She was dying after all. Visibly shaking, he fumbled with the door nob and ran inside. Before he could run up and hug her, he was taken aback by her current state. She looked… Unrecognizable. Her once sun-kissed hair was burnt to a crisp, and her skin was no longer fair, now left with burn marks leading from her face to her chest and abdominal area. Hank slowly walked up to her, careful not to startle her. He grabbed her good hand and started sobbing on the spot. He doesn’t know how long he cried, but he kept telling himself that it was his entire fault and that he should have let Cole stay home, the whole family should have just _stayed home_. Unexpectedly, Heather held his hand back, letting the man know that she was awake. Hank gasped and just started talking.

 

“Jesus, Heather, I don’t even know what to say, I’m so, so, sorry!” Hank babbled, his voice breaking mid-sentence. The woman looked at her husband with loving eyes, not wanting her husband to blame himself. “H…Hank...” She whispered groggily.

 

“Yes, hon? Oh my god please don’t die…” he begged pathetically.

 

Heather couldn’t say anything back, so she just kept holding his hand tightly until he was too tired to cry anymore. There were so many things she wanted to tell him. Tell him it wasn’t his fault; tell him that she loved him. Tell him to watch over Cole while she was gone. Despite not being able to say any of those things, she knew deep down that Hank understood. She trusted him with everything. She mouthed the words I love you to her husband before her hand lost its grip.

 

The electrocardiogram gave a long, cruel sound. The sound no one wants to hear.

 

It was the sound of a flat line.

 


	2. Bad Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole and Hank are having a bad day. But hey, at least things can only get better from here, right?

November 5th, 2038

4:33 PM

Davison Elementary School

 

 

The pealing sounds of the school bell and a hoard of screaming children fill the air as the students of Davison Elementary run towards the courtyard, eager to head home after a long day of learning. The school building itself is nothing fancy. It’s actually quite small. Davison Elementary is one of the oldest public schools in Detroit, and one of the few schools in the country that still hired human teachers. Perhaps that’s why only 337 students still attended the school.

 

In the courtyard, a boy roughly the age of nine sat on the bench in the center fountain. His dark auburn hair is disheveled, and he has prominent bruises on his cheek, arms and probably a few on his abdominal area. In short, he looked like a mess. He held the newest edition of a DC comic book featuring Batman and Superman for the millionth time in his hands. The boy’s downcast baby blue eyes seemed engrossed in his comic book until he saw a Ford Cortina drive in front of the school, gas visibly emitting from the old engine. The boy sighed and put away his comic book back inside his backpack that was already falling apart due to overuse. He walked slowly to the old, busted up car, feeling numb and disgruntled. His day hadn’t been the greatest.

 

Earlier, a group of 6th graders beat him up on his way to class today; they weren’t even trying to be discreet about it either. It was obvious that they saw him as a punching bag due to his scrawny figure and a particular physical trait of his, but the boy wasn’t always strong enough to fight back. Problems at home kept him from having the motivation to do much of anything really. Honestly, he couldn’t wait until Thanksgiving break so he could spend the holiday holed up in his room reading comic books and playing video games all day. After the boy entered the car, he slumped over the passenger seats as if it were a couch, and gave a long, pained groan.

 

“Woah, that bad huh?” Hank winced; knowing immediately that his son probably had a rough day at school. Looks like the Lieutenant isn’t the only one having a shitty day. Cole didn’t even comment, he just raised his hand up in the air and then put it thumbs down, then made a long farting noise with his mouth. Hank looks saddened by the reaction, but nonetheless, he starts the ignition of the car to take his son home.

 

By some miracle, before Cole started school again, Hank managed to convince Fowler to let him have the afternoons off so that he could take Cole home, but convincing the hardened captain was not easy. It was only after he pulled the ‘grieving husband card’ that he managed to get through to him. It’s worked out positively so far, but Hank would be lying if he said he was happy to see his son miserable day in and day out of school.

 

Before Hank has a chance to start up a conversation with his son, he notices a prominent bruise on his cheek and arms. “Jesus Christ Cole who the hell did this to you?!” Hank probed angrily, hoping his son could shed some light into why he looked hurt. Cole was quick to defend himself. “Dad, It’s nothing, I just fell down the stairs on my way to class, that’s all!” Cole lied, not wanting his father to worry about him. Hank’s expression softened and didn’t question it again after. His son has no reason to lie to him after all.

 

Hank decides he should try to lighten up the mood. “Hey kid, how about you do your homework later today and instead I play a ‘round of good ol’ Mario Kart 64 with you? Doesn’t that sound fun?” he suggested with a smile, trying to do anything to make his son feel better. Cole lifted his head from his sulking, an emotionless expression on his face.

 

“No thanks dad, I already did my homework during lunch. I just want to go home and sleep.” He replied honestly, the lack of motivation present in his robotic tone. Hank sighed, having failed again to lighten up his son’s mood. Ever since the accident, Cole’s never been the same. He feels more hopeless and sad all the time, barely trying to get good grades at school.

 

However, on those rare days when something causes him to feel happy, he could be so extroverted and creative, cracking jokes and being the talkative boy he used to be. Hank couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride in his heart. It hasn’t been easy, but he had done alright raising his son despite the crippling depression and chronic alcoholism he’s still going through.

* * *

 

 

5:01 PM

Hank’s House

 

Eventually, the two made it back to their home at 115 Michigan Drive. Hank turned off the ignition and got out of the car. He went over to the passenger seats to help his son out as well, careful not to pull him out too roughly. Cole carefully took out right leg first, then his prosthetic limb followed suit. The two walked in an awkward silence towards the house. The moment Cole stepped inside the hardwood floors of the living room he unloaded.

 

“It’s not fair dad, it’s just _not_ _fair_! Every day is the same! I go to school with a positive attitude like you say, but everyone at school thinks I’m a freak! _EVERYONE_!” Cole snapped, feeling just as fed up with his situation as his father did. Hank didn’t expect such a reaction from his quiet son, but of course, it was only a matter of time before he has had enough. The man’s face contorted with anger, but not anger directed at his son. The anger was all directed at himself, for failing to be the father his son deserves. A feeling self-loathing clouded Hank’s better judgment, and he replied,

 

“I know, son, I know! It fu-,” Hank paused to correct himself.

“It freaking sucks. But there’s not much I can do! I work unpredictable shifts, and I’ve already talked to your counselor 5 times, Cole! I’m burnt out, so can you just please cut me some slack?!” Hank retorted rudely, a headache already beginning to form.

 

Cole was having none of it though,

 

“Dad, I know you’ve been drinking again!” He accused angrily, trying to call him out for his behavior. Hank’s eyes widened at the accusation, and now he was feeling angry with Cole. What right did his son have to bring such a sensitive topic up anyways? Before Hank could blow up in Cole’s face though, he remembered he was talking to his son, not Captain Fowler. “Yeah… How did you find out?” Hank faltered shamefully. He had been trying to keep that secret for months now, but it looks like nothing can get passed his son.

 

The boy seemed to have calmed down a bit too, for his angry expression turned heartbroken again. “I found your stash of scotch in your closet safe. I wasn’t even trying to find it! I thought you stole my controller again, so I tried to look for it, but instead, I find something worse than that.” Cole explained, glaring holes at the wooden tile floor. Hank didn’t know what to say, so he just stood there, unable to justify anything. Before his father could attempt to rationalize his alcoholism to his son, Cole had already left. An audible slam could be heard from across the house.

 

Meanwhile, Sumo had just woken up from his nap. The gentle dog went up to Hank and started whining, knowing that both of his favorite owners were upset again. Hank pet Sumo on his head and sat on the couch. “Well, at least one of my children still loves me,” Hank said jokingly to himself. Hank knew his son loves him, Cole was just mad because he’s had a bad day at school is all. Cole is a strong boy he can handle himself.

 

The man rubbed his face with his hands, feeling like a failure again. How long had his son known about his relapse? Hank didn’t want to ponder so much about it, so he just sat on the couch. After a few hours of quiet contemplation and self-loathing, his phone rang from his jacket pocket. The Lieutenant grabbed the phone forcefully, and read the caller ID. “Ugghhhh Captain Fowler…” Hank growled to himself, absolutely not in the mood to deal with this asshole. He pressed the answer button on his phone, and braced himself.

 

“Hey Jeff now’s not a good time-”

 

“HANK ANDERSON, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO MESSAGE YOU BEFORE YOU PICK UP THE FUCKING PHONE?!” Jeffery Fowler’s voice bellows from the other line. Hank made a noise of complaint and replied with just as much ferocity. “Look, Jeffery, for fuck’s sake can this fucking wait until later after I’m drunk?! I am not in the mood right now, and I’ll be damned if I have to take a case right now after my son just called out my fucking alcoholism! Call me later _after_ I get hammered!”

 

“Hank, I swear to God if you hang up on me, I’ll-!”

 

The man promptly hung up, growling at his superior’s insensitivity. Groaning in frustration, Hank grabbed his coat and headed to the front door. Before he decided to leave though, he quickly changes his mind. He steps away from the front door, only to end up standing in front of his son’s room. Hank knew his son probably didn’t want to talk to him, and the man honestly couldn’t blame him. Hank knocked on his son’s room door, attempting to grab his attention any way he can.

 

“Cole? Listen, dad’s gotta run for an investigation. I won’t be back until late tonight. There’s cold pizza in the fridge if you’re hungry.” Hank informed, trying to sound cheerful. There was no reply from the closed bedroom. Cole sat on his bed blaring out 80s music from a playlist he himself created. Hank once noted his son’s odd taste for music but didn’t question it. He’d just assume that Cole got it from him since Hank is a lover of old things too. When he realized his dad was knocking on his door, he paused his music.

 

“Okay, dad. Stay safe today okay?” Cole stressed, not wanting his dad take any unneeded risks. From the other side of the door, Hank flinched at that quote.

 

_‘Stay safe today okay?’ Heather said, concerned laced on her face._

Hank shook off the memory, and replied back, “Of course, son. Go to bed at exactly twelve, got it? I know it’s a Friday, but that doesn’t mean you have my permission to stay up until three.” Hank warned in an authoritative tone. Cole knew he couldn’t promise that, but he told his father that he wouldn’t stay up so late anyway. Just to make him feel better.

 

“Yeah dad, of course,” Cole answered innocently. The boy’s father leaned against the door, not wanting to leave just yet.

 

“Will you let me in now?” Hank almost begged. Cole sighed, getting off his bed and went over to his bedroom door to unlock it. Afterward, Hank stepped inside arguably the most colorful room in the house. He could give a million reasons why he decided to spoil his son so much. But no matter how many things Hank gave his son, he knew his son’s happiness would only be temporary. Hank sighed. He only wants his son to be happy, even if it’s just for a little bit. Hank kneeled down to his son’s level on the bed and snapped his fingers to get his attention away from the comic he was currently reading. “Son, I’m sorry for my outburst earlier. I… It’s not you. It’s never you. I promise I’ll be more mindful of it next time.” Hank genuinely apologized. Hank refuses to lose any more of his son’s respect. Cole frowned, but unexpectedly, he hugged his dad, causing him to flinch. He hugged him as tight as his tiny arms could. Hank glanced lovingly at his child, before returning the hug.

 

They’re not perfect, but they love each other. And for tonight, maybe that was enough.

 

* * *

 

 

11:21 PM

Jimmy’s Bar

 

‘I’m a piece of shit.’ Hank thought as he downed his sorrows away from another glass of burning scotch. The man felt incredibly guilty for lying to his son, but alcohol has been his addiction for so long now, he can’t function without at least one glass. That’s what Hank told himself anyway. Hank promised himself that he wouldn’t stay at Jimmy’s for long and that it would only be for a quick drink. But then he got another. And another. After that, he lost count. Ever since Captain Fowler filled him in on the case he needed to investigate, Hank’s been stressed all evening. The bar just seemed like the easiest way of relieving stress. The shameful Lieutenant glared down at his drink, knowing his son will throw a cow if he finds out that he’s been drinking at the bar every other Friday for the past 3 years.

 

“Lieutenant Anderson, my name is Connor. I’m the android sent by CyberLife.” A male sounding voice spoke behind Hank. The man in question didn’t bother to look up. Fowler informed the man that he’d be getting an android partner. That was the main reason why Hank justified getting a drink.

 

“I looked for you at the station, but nobody knew where you were. Some said that you might be having a drink nearby. I was lucky to find you at the fifth bar.” The android stated in a matter of fact like tone. Hank sighed, not really having the energy or strength to argue with this sorry excuse of a Barbie Ken doll. He already had enough fights for one day. Besides, he shouldn’t even be here anyway.

 

“You know what, your right. I’m done drinking away my sorrows anyways. Let's just get the fuck out of here, but stay out of my way, got it?” Hank warned rudely.

 

“Got it.” The android replied with a neutral expression.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, second chapter. I'm sorry it didn't have a lot of Connor interaction, but I promise Connor will be a more major character as the chapters roll on! I hope you guys enjoy and stay tuned! :)


	3. The Station

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole finds himself curious about the case his father is working on. But perhaps there's more to it then just androids killing or assaulting their owners.

November 6th, 2038

9:00 AM

Hank’s House

 

“Dad, do I have to go?” A voice complained from the bathroom in Hank’s house. The man being addressed sighed a long sigh, not in the mood at all to deal with his son’s complaints. He’s still hung over from last night. The interrogation left him in a sour mood, but at least Connor was able to get the deviant to confess. The Lieutenant was sure that the deviant should be in its cell by now. The truth is, neither Hank nor Cole wanted to go to the Police Station, but neither of them had a choice anyway.

 

“Son, if it were up to me, your butt would be staying right here, but I’ve been busy the last couple of hours. I can’t leave you here at home, so you have no choice but to come with me for the day, at least.” Hank explained, trying to leave out as many details about the deviant case as possible. Cole adjusted his prosthetic limb, making sure to have it leveled so it wouldn’t be uneven to walk. The limb is pure white and has a CyberLife logo on it, indicating its manufacturer. Cole’s father had him enlisted in the Detroit Government Disabilities program, which allowed Cole to have a prosthetic limb, granted to him every year. Cole assumed that it was CyberLife’s way of sending their condolences for what happened during the accident, but in all honesty, CyberLife could go die in a ditch. Cole has suffered enough from the humans who caused his mother’s death. Cole didn’t blame the androids though, unlike his father.

 

After the boy brushed his teeth and combed his hair, he set off to his room to change clothes. “TV, on,” Cole commanded. His television turned on promptly, but the default channel was a news story. The boy listened intently, hoping to find out what his dad might be doing for today in regards to police work.

 

“Last night at around 10:00 PM, a man reported to the authorities, claiming that he was assaulted by his own android: an AX400 is now on the loose and it is assumed to be armed and dangerous. Do not approach this android if you see it, and be sure to inform our local police as discreetly as possible if you believe you have found the android. Back to you Aaron,” The channel had switched back on to the weather side of things. “Well Susan, it looks like today will be partly cloudy like yesterday, the humidity has subsided a little bit, but there is no doubt that there will be very light rain today in the early morning, and it can be inferred that the rain will stop sometime around three-.”

 

“TV, off,” Cole turned off the TV and went to his closet to pick out the clothing that would be best suited for a rainy day. It’s going to be cold, so he decided to wear his military green coat jacket, a pair of dark blue jeans, and his favorite Batman T-shirt. As for shoes, he carefully put his left rain boot on first, to make sure it wouldn’t get stuck on the prosthetic (unfortunately, It’s happened before), and then his right rain boot came on second. Cole was now ready to face the day, whatever it had to bring. The boy grabbed his falling apart backpack along with his handheld XBP One and ran out to the living room. Hank sat on the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in his hands. When he noticed Cole waiting for him on the other side of the table, Hank stood up. “You ready kiddo?” He asked with a tired smile.

 

“Yes, dad. After we’re done, could we go to the Chicken Feed? Pleease?” Cole begged with a playful expression on his face, even dramatizing it by having his hands fisted together. Hank chuckled lightly and patted his son’s head.

“Sure, son. Anything to make you happy.”

 

* * *

 

 

9:21 AM

Detroit Police Department

 

Hank and Cole arrived at the police station a lot earlier than expected. Most of the employees there assumed Hank would be too drunk or hung-over to even clock in, but as soon as the two entered the station, all eyes turned to them. One human policeman saw the two enter, and nearly choked on his coffee when he saw whom Hank brought with him. “Hank, you brought _your son_ here? Is that even allowed?” The policeman exclaimed, not quite sure what to do.

 

“As far as I know, Chris, there’s no rule stating that I can’t bring my son here once and a while. Besides, I didn’t have anyone to babysit him, so he’s with me whether all of y’all like it or not.” Hank grunted, his firm voice already intimidating the policeman. Chris opened his mouth to retort but instead kept his mouth shut. Captain Fowler was not going to like this.

The father and son duo headed towards Hank’s desk, only to find an android looking behind the Lieutenant’s decorative poster board. Immediately Cole retreated into his little cocoon. The android looks professional as if he were a decorated detective. He’s clean-cut, analytical and a little bit unsettling to the younger boy. Cole wonders why the android has to look so human-like. The boy has seen plenty of androids walking in the streets and helping their owners, but this android was definitely the most tangible out of all of the ones he’s seen. It makes Cole feel unbelievably uncomfortable. The android looks over to their general direction and smiles pleasantly. “It’s good to see you, Lieutenant!” He greets over enthusiastically.

 

“Oh Jesus,” Hank mumbles, not expecting the android to arrive so soon. Connor glanced at the younger boy, causing him to flinch. Cole hid behind his father shyly, feeling uneased by the android. Connor did a face scan of the boy.

 

Cole Anderson.

Son of Lieutenant Hank Anderson.

Approximately 9 years old.

Born September 23rd, 2029.

Criminal Record: None.

 

“Hank! In my office!” Captain Fowler called from in front of his office. Hank groaned in annoyance, knowing that he probably wants to talk to him about the deviant cases and his son’s presence here in the office. Hank strutted to Fowler’s office, the monotonous android following along. While the boy wanted to listen in and find out what kind of case his father is doing, instead he decided to explore the station. He walked aimlessly around the building, trying to kill his boredom by finding something to do. Eventually, Cole finds a room with a sign that said ‘CELL ROOMS.’ He glanced back at Fowler’s office, debating if he should go check on him or not. Curiosity got the better of him, and he entered the cell room. Inside he found a long hallway consisting of a couple of holding cells meant for transfer. Cole’s eyes widened. He’s never been in this room before. The child’s been to the station a couple of times before when he was younger, but his father always told him to never ever go in here. But God he’s so _bored_.

 

As the boy examines the holding cells, he’s shocked to find an android in one of them. The android looks like a complete mess. His arms were ripped, he has human blood everywhere, and burn marks on his face. Cole doesn’t know why he has human blood on him, but it’s clear this android did something really bad. The boy approaches the android slowly out of curiosity and wonders if he even notices him. Without warning, the android looks at the boy, and his expression remains fearful.

 

“Are you okay?” Cole asks the android, actually concerned for him. For some reason, Cole knows deep down that whatever this android did has to be justifiable. The android looks down, the fear on his face still very evident. “They’re going to destroy me, aren’t they?” The android whispers despairingly, not sure why this boy is here. Cole didn’t know what to say, so he just asked questions. “What did you do? You look like you’ve been abused.” Cole asks horrified by what was done to it. “I was… Just defending myself! He tortured me every day… I couldn’t take it anymore, I just couldn’t take it anymore!” The android was beginning to raise its voice. Unbeknownst to Cole, the android’s stress level began to rise. Before he knows it, the android begins slamming its head against the glass, drawing blue blood. Cole panics and tries to stop it, “No, please don’t do that! Oh gosh…” It’s too late. The android collapses on the ground.

 

Traumatized, Cole runs away from the cell holding area, breathing rigid.

 

His dad is going to kill him.

 

The boy tried to calm down, and as casually as possible, went to see if his father is still talking to Fowler. It looks like he’s just about done, because the Lieutenant and the android emerged from his office, his dad looking very infuriated. That’s Cole’s cue to stay quiet. That’s how it always works anyways. Dad gets mad, Cole stays shut. Everybody wins. Hank sat at his desk, sulking impatiently. Cole gave a look of pity towards his father, but its clear to him that his father needs some space. The android accompanying him fled to the break room, making Cole feel the curiosity get the better of him again. He followed the android to the break room, feeling hungry anyway. Perhaps he could buy a pack of M&M’s or Smarties while his dad is off fuming in his desk. As he and the android walked into the break room, a man in his late thirties snorted from one of the tables,

 

“Fuck, look at that...” He scoffed. Cole knew immediately who this cop is. ‘That has to be Gavin’ the boy thought, annoyed. His father wouldn’t shut up about what an asshole this man was, and how he never plays by the rules either. One time, Hank even called him a cunt when he thought Cole wasn’t paying attention.

 

“The plastic detective is back in town! Congratulations on last night, very impressive!” Gavin said sarcastically, clapping and all. Gavin’s attitude made Cole want to punch him, but the boy decided to keep his mouth shut. Connor gave a subtle smile and introduced himself. “Hello, my name is Connor.” Gavin got up from his seat and walked over to the android. “Never seen an android like you before. What model are you?” He asked, pretending to be interested. Cole eavesdropped on their conversation a bit, whilst pretending to buy something from the vending machine.

“RK800. I’m a prototype,” Connor answers respectfully.

“A prototype?” Gavin inquired. The man snickered and made a comment in passing to one of the policewomen sitting on the table.

 

“So… Machines are going to replace us all is that it?” Gavin accused bitterly. Cole couldn’t take it anymore, “Look, can you stop? Being mean to it is not going to make you feel better.” Cole said to Gavin, having had enough. Gavin glared at the boy but then smirked when he realized who it was. “Well if it isn’t Cole Fucking Anderson.” At that moment, Cole knew he screwed up.

 

Before Cole could walk away to avoid confrontation, Gavin called out to him. “Hey kid, where you going?” the man called, wanting to poke more fun at the poor boy. The boy in question kept his mouth under lock and key but stayed put. He really dislikes Gavin. Gavin walked over to the kid and towered over him.

 

“Your Hank’s son aren’t ya? He never shuts up about you. What’s a scrawny nobody like you doing here? You’ll only slow us down after all.” Gavin snickered, making the kid feel even more uncomfortable. Cole tried to be calm and just continued ignoring him, hoping he would just go away. Connor watched the confrontation, seemingly processing on what he should do, “Why does your father have a son like you anyways? Your father is just a drunkard who’s too stubborn to even do his work!” Gavin took things a little too far and pushed the boy, causing him to stumble. Cole never felt so humiliated in his life.

‘Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, guys aren’t supposed to cry’ Cole repeated in his head, holding back tears.

 

“Detective Reed, that’s enough,” A cold voice rang from beside the two. Cole glances at the android as if begging for him to help. At that moment, Connor felt his software instability go up. Gavin looked at the android, and laughed, not believing this shit. “You’re telling me what to do now you plastic prick?” He all but yelled.

 

“Protocol states that I am allowed to report any detective in the precinct who fails to abide by any of the disciplinary rules set in place. Besides I believe Lieutenant Anderson would be greatly displeased to know you harassed his son.” Connor threatens, his face indicating no set emotion. Gavin growls, knowing Connor wouldn’t hesitate to report him. He glances at Cole and mumbles to himself, leaving afterward.

 

The boy felt at a loss. Should he thank the android?

 

“What Detective Reed did was uncalled for. I’ll be sure Lieutenant Anderson knows about what transpired just now-”

 

“No! I mean… Please don’t.” The kid pleads. Connor tilted his head slightly, not sure why he doesn’t want his father to know.

“My dad has enough to worry about…” Cole explained. After having said that, Cole walks back to his father’s desk, the android following behind him.

 

The sullen boy kept to himself again as Connor attempted to get Hank off his slouchy mood. “It’s an honor to be working with you Lieutenant, I’m sure we’ll make a great team.” The android started, attempting to establish a friendly relationship. Cole snickered lightly to himself. Watching the android try to be friends with his dad is honestly kind of funny. Connor glanced at the boy again before asking Hank about a desk he could use. “No one’s using the one next to Cole.” Hank pointed, trying to get the damn android off his back. Connor walked across from Hank and sat at his desk, ready to work. The android then remembered the dog hairs he analyzed a few minutes ago. “You both have a dog right?” Connor asked pleasantly. Cole was really holding it together now, keeping himself from laughing. He swears this android is playing 20 questions right now.

 

“Yes, we have a dog. His name’s Sumo. He’s really big, but he acts like a puppy!” Cole answers with a small smile. Hank facepalmed, knowing his son actually likes androids. “Alright son, let Connor do his work alright? Or no chicken burgers later!” Hank warns sternly.

“No please have mercy! I’ll be quiet I promise!” Cole laughed, already feeling miles better. Hank grunts, about to start work until Chris comes by his desk. “Lieutenant, sorry to disturb you. I have some information about the AX400 that assaulted the man last night. It’s been sighted at the Ravendale District.”

 

“I’m on it,” Hank affirms, ready to head out to the field. Cole and Connor looked at Hank expectantly. When Hank noticed them staring, he sighs, “I have to watch over two kids now…” He grumbles to himself.

 

Cole then realized that he heard about the same AX400 this morning in the news. He couldn’t understand why it did what it did, but maybe this android had its reasons too.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Slaving away for this chapter was tough, but I can feel the creative juices still flowing! ^.^ I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will definitely be interesting, to say the least. Be sure to leave a comment and/or kudos to let me know what you think!


	4. A Parent's Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole has to make a choice between following his duty and following his heart. Which does he choose?

 

November 6th, 2038

10:21 AM

Ravendale District

 

Light rain falls down from the heavens, causing a stifling humidity to surround the Ravendale District area. The air is cold and relentless, the autumn season’s precipitation ever present in Detroit. Lieutenant Hank Anderson parked by the street near an old convenience store where the AX400 has last been sighted. Cole is sitting in the passenger seat, while his father’s android partner sits next to his father. Cole doesn’t like rain or humidity. It makes his prosthetic limb ache with a dull pain. Just as his father is about to get out, he turns to his son, a stern look ever present on his aging features,

 

“I don’t have to tell you son. You know. Stay. Here. No exceptions,” Hank ordered in his gruff tone. Cole made a noise of complaint; his expression contorting into one of annoyance, “Dad that’s so not fair! I know it’s raining, but my leg won’t hurt, I promise!” Cole argues, trying to come up with any excuse to be with his dad. As soon as the boy said that, Connor made a scan of his prosthetic limb,

 

CyberLife AL50 Prosthetic Limb.

Base constructed out of a plastic alloy.

Large joints made out of lightweight titanium.

Small joints made of iron for added support.

Not well suited for rain.

 

“Your prosthetic limb has iron joints that will oxidize once exposed to hydration for long periods of time. This will, in turn, cause the limb to constrict, leading to sharp pains in the nerves and tendons of what is left of your leg. You shouldn’t leave the car.” Connor concluded, speaking in his analytical tone. Cole blushed angrily; embarrassed the android could see right through his pant leg. The little boy pouted, cross-armed and all.

 

“Gee, thanks for the reminder, you butthead,” Cole grumbled sarcastically. Connor made a mental note of the boy’s bitterness at the mention of his prosthetic. The android decides it would be best not to bring it up again in the future unless the situation calls for it.

 

“See? Even the plastic asshole agrees with me. You’re staying in here. End of story!” Hank raised his voice firmly.

 

“Ughh fine!” Cole groaned in a defeated tone. After their argument is over, Hank and Connor get out of the old car, leaving the poor kid to his own devices. Literally. Cole brought his backpack, leaving him with some handheld video game consoles, his favorite Walkman that used to belong to his father, and a whole bunch of DC comic books he brought with him. Despite all the things he brought to distract himself from his father’s case, he doesn’t want to be imprisoned in the portable cell that is Hank’s, Ford Cortina. Cole tried to take in his surroundings, just so he can figure out if hypothetically speaking, he could leave the car without being noticed.

 

There’s no way in hell he’s staying in here while his father and his android partner get to do cool investigations and he’d be left to the dust. He sees his father outside, presumably listening to a briefing of the case being presented to him by another local policeman. Connor is standing motionlessly in front of the store, his LED indicator blinking a bright yellow color, and his eyes are closed. After making sure both his father and the android were busy, the boy quietly opened the car door, making sure not to alert the two.

 

‘I’m going to get in so much trouble for this,’ Cole winced at the thought of angering his father. The boy knows its wrong to sneak out of the car and start wandering around, but he didn’t want to be confined to the car’s small space anyway. After all, cars make him nervous. When Cole slipped out of the confines of his father’s vehicle, he overheard Officer Collins talking with the Lieutenant.

 

“We got officers sweeping the neighborhood, in case anyone saw anything.” He heard Collins tell the man.

 

“Okay well let me know if anything turns up,” Hank replies, not sounding enthusiastic about the case. Collins pauses, then stares at the motionless android in front of the store. “What are you going to do with that?” He asks, talking about Connor. Cole watched the scenario unfold while he hid behind the car. Hank frowns, “I have no idea. I already have my son I have to deal with, I don’t need to babysit an android too,” he said, rubbing his forehead. The little boy in question felt a pang of guilt. Maybe he should stay in the car… It would cause a lot less stress for his dad. Before Cole has a chance decide what to do, he hears the android talk to his father,

 

“It took the first bus that came along, and stayed at the end of the line. Its decision wasn’t planned, it was driven by fear.” Connor spoke in a concise manner. Cole raised his eyebrow after hearing that, ‘deviants can feel fear?’ he wondered absentmindedly to himself.

Hank scoffed, as if what Connor said was pure nonsense, “Androids don’t feel fear,” the man laughed as if it were the most ridiculous thing he ever heard.

 

“Deviants do. They get overwhelmed by their emotions and make irrational decisions,” Connor countered, knowing full well deviants are more likely to act human during stressful situations. Hank nodded, the android’s comment seems to make sense, “Ah well that still doesn’t tell us where it went,” the Lieutenant pointed out. Connor’s expression turned thoughtful as he analyzed the situation, “It didn’t have a plan, and it had nowhere to go… Maybe it didn’t go far,” the android answers.

 

Meanwhile, Cole is still eavesdropping on their conversation. The boy couldn’t help but feel fascinated by deviants. ‘Do they really have human emotions? Can they really feel fear? That android at the station… He really seemed to feel fear,’ Cole thought sadly. He didn’t want the android to self-destruct, but he didn’t know what to do at that very moment in time.

 

He began rubbing his arms, rain pouring down on his face and hair, causing him to feel cold. The boy’s freckled cheeks turned red from the weather; it’s only a matter of time before he starts sneezing. When he saw that both his father and the android stopped talking, Cole made a split second decision to go look around. He pulled his hooded raincoat on and began glancing at the police and people wandering the streets. ‘If I play my cards right, my dad shouldn’t be able to notice I’m gone if I arrive back at the car before he notices, and knowing him, he’ll be too busy to check on me,’ Cole reasoned with himself, if only to get rid of the crippling guilt he feels because he might make his father worry.

 

The boy began walking around the streets of the Ravendale District, not feeling any pain at all, at least not yet. Cole remembers when he first started walking on a prosthetic, and how steep the learning curve was for him. He would stumble on his first try, and back then the prosthetic wasn’t leveled, so he would walk awkwardly for the first few months. His dad would have to help him up every time he fell down, and the doctor’s visits were almost always frequent. Cole smiled at the memory. It was hard, but after 3 years of using a prosthetic, he finally got the hang of it, walking like any normal kid would, and he could even run now. Cole remembers his doctor told him he needs to exercise a lot so that he won’t gain weight, because apparently if he does gain weight, his prosthetic could falter.

 

Eventually, Cole decides he should go back. If he doesn’t, his father would ground him for sure, if not for sneaking out, then definitely for going alone. The boy does find it ridiculous to get so worked up for just taking in the city sights. It’s not like there aren’t policemen at every corner of the district. Heck, he even said hi to a few.

 

In his distracted state of mind, Cole suddenly feels himself bump into someone. He quickly gets up in haste, “Oh gosh I’m so sorry, are you okay?” He chuckles as he helps a little girl up to her feet, feeling bad for being such a clutz. She only stares at him, and she looks scared. He looks at the girl with a concerned expression, “What’s wrong?” he asks worriedly. Before the girl can reply, he hears a woman’s voice from across the street, “Alice! What are you doing?” The woman ran up to the two, feeling anxious. Cole’s eyes widen when he realizes who the woman is.

 

“Wait… I know you,” He says in a near whisper. The two look at the boy in shock and fear. Cole continued,

 

“You are the AX400 from the news…”

 

The cops started getting closer to the three of them, no doubt they would be caught if they stay put for longer than three minutes. They’re trapped. Cole looks into what he assumes is Alice’s pleading eyes, and feels his heart ache. He doesn’t know what these two have been through, but he could put two and two together just by looking at how tightly the deviant was holding the girl’s hand. He glanced at the surrounding area, cops on each side of the sidewalk. Then he finds an alleyway leading to an enclosure that could hide the two. But after he thinks about his father, and how he could also report the android to the cops, he starts to have second thoughts. He could help his dad…

 

Cole looks again at the android holding the girl’s hand tightly and realizes that if he does report them, the girl will essentially be motherless. Cole closed his eyes tightly and makes a decision.

 

‘I’m sorry dad…’ Cole apologizes internally.

 

He knows what he has to do.

 

He looks intently at the girl’s eyes,

 

“Follow me, I can get you two out of here,” he whispers urgently. The AX400 looked at the boy with a perplexed expression, not entirely sure what to do.

 

“What should we do Kara?” Alice asks in her scared, high-pitched voice. The android assumed to be Kara looks at the boy suspiciously, “How do I know we can trust you?” She questions.

 

The boy points to the police, “I promise I won’t report you two, but if we stay here, you guys will be caught. I only want to help,” he explains as calmly as possible.

 

Kara thought long and hard about the amount of time they had, and when she saw the police get too close, the choice was becoming clear.

 

“I don’t trust you, but we have no choice. We’ll go with you,” Kara decides, Alice nodding in agreement. Cole smiles kindly and tells them to follow his lead.

 

He has the two follow him across the street, hiding at any location possible to evade the cops. He maneuvers them to the alleyway, and they soon reach the enclosure. After they reach the end of the enclosure, they all find a street where there are no cops at all. A detour that leads to the train station. The boy’s not entirely sure if that’s where they wanted to go, but it’s the best he can do for them.

 

“There’s a detour in this street that takes you to a train station. I’m not sure if that’s where you want to go, but it’s your best bet from getting away from the cops. You should be safe once you get there,” he explains, out of breath from the running he did to help these two.

 

“It’s perfect! We can’t thank you enough…” Kara beamed, feeling the stress fade away.

 

Kara and Alice look relieved and overjoyed, their situation finally looking all the less grim. Alice turned to Cole, her expression confused, “Why are you helping us?” she asks the boy in a soft voice. Cole didn’t expect her to ask that question, but he felt the answer was clear to him,

 

“You two are scared… I know what it’s like to feel scared. I feel it every day. But the way you two held each other’s hands… It reminded me of my dad, and how he held mine when I got scared,” He explained, feeling a bit sentimental. He looks at the two again, “You should hurry, the cops will be in this area any minute,” Cole took off his military green coat, and handed it to the girl when he noticed her shaking,

 

“Here Alice, take this,” He insisted, smiling kindly at the girl. Alice’s eyes shone with gratitude, and gently took the slightly oversized coat, and put it on. Alice smiled and mumbled a thank you, causing the boy to blush a little.

 

Kara’s eyes watered with tears of joy at the exchange. Whoever’s raising this boy, is doing a great job. She wonders if she could ever be that great of a mother.

 

The three departed after the exchange, and Cole runs back to where his father was patrolling. He’s only been gone for about 10 minutes, so his dad couldn’t have noticed right? He panted as he runs back to the car, his prosthetic beginning to ache a little bit, but his father was nowhere to be found. Maybe his dad went to another area to investigate. It wouldn’t be that far-fetched to assume such a thing… Cole stands in front of the car and opens it,

 

“COLE!” A scary voice yelled from across the street,

 

‘Crap...’ Cole winced, caught red-handed.

 

He turned to find Hank and Connor running towards him. His father looks out of breath. He is seething with anger, “What the hell did I tell you about staying in the car, son?! I thought something happened to you! Connor and I looked all over the district and couldn’t find you, and where the fuck is your coat?!” Hank spoke rapidly, shaking his son’s shoulders.

 

Cole looked down shamefully, tears welling up in his eyes, “I’m sorry dad… I didn’t mean to make you worried, I just wanted to find a nearby bathroom, but then someone stole my coat, so I started looking for it. I didn’t go far, I promise! I…I should’ve asked you for help,”

 

The boy felt guilty for lying, but he couldn’t tell his dad that he just helped two fugitives escape!

 

“Your father insisted we leave the crime scene just to look for you, Cole. His cardiovascular levels increased dramatically when he couldn’t find you, so I decided to help him. One more moment, and he probably would have had a heart attack. You really caused him a lot of stress.” Connor revealed, his voice showcasing disappointment, and something else Cole couldn’t quite put his finger on. Was it concern?

 

The android recalled the moment Hank realized his son was missing and frowned.

 

_The rain began to stop when Hank decided it was time to go. He was tired and Cole was probably bored to death in the car, “It won’t get far, we’ll find it sooner or later,” he told Connor, knowing that the AX400 would eventually get caught by the police. Connor didn’t look too happy about Hank’s comment, but it’s not like Hank was wrong. “Lets go,” Hank said as he walked to the car, Connor following close behind. When Hank is about to unlock the car door, he notices Cole isn’t inside. Hank gasped, and began looking around frantically, “Cole? Cole?!” he all but yelled. Connor felt troubled, “What’s the matter Lieutenant, where’s Cole?” Connor asked in a concerned and urgent tone._

_“Fuck if I know! He could be anywhere! GODDAMMIT, I TOLD HIM TO STAY PUT!” Hank panicked, his heart beating rapidly. Hank felt like he screwed up. Connor’s eyes widened at the thought of Hank losing Cole, and he felt something he never felt before in the time he’s existed. He couldn’t place the feeling, but it was festering. The android decided to ignore it for now, and get back to the situation at hand “He couldn’t have gone far, I’ll alert the police while we look for him,” Connor suggested as calmly as possible. Connor has never seen Hank look so scared._

 

Hank’s anger melted away after hearing Cole’s explanation and felt stupid. Was his son right under his nose the whole time?

 

“Oh son, I’m sorry for overreacting, just for God’s sake Cole don’t wander off without telling me alright? I could have gotten a heart attack!” Hank pleads, almost desperately. The boy is riddled with guilt for lying, but he just nods, for he can’t audibly express anything at the moment. Cole decides it’s best he doesn’t wander off anymore. At least without telling his father.

 

Connor watched as Hank pulled Cole into a tight hug, and wonders how someone can care for another with such intense emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, that got super emotional real quick. ;;  
> I had a blast writing this chapter, and I can't wait to continue it! However, I am starting college summer courses soon, so updates may take longer from here on out. I may be writing chapters inconsistently now that my free time has become limited, but I'll be sure to finish the fifth chapter as soon as possible! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, and be sure to leave a comment and/or kudos to let me know what you think! 
> 
> Remember, this is only the beginning. ;)


	5. Machine Instinct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Cole hit it off at the Chicken Feed, but will conflicting motivations from both individuals harm their relationship?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so it's currently 3:00 AM right now, and I JUST finished this chapter and now I wanna die because it's almost 5000 words long and accounting sucks. x'D On the bright side, this chapter is DONE so I can FINALLY get to writing the chapter I'm most excited about for this story, and that's chapter 6! You guys will know why once I write it. ;) Anyways, updates will probably be weekly from now on until I'm done with college for the summer, but don't fret! I will continue this story. I don't have writer's block, I promise! (I seriously don't have writer's block, it's actually the opposite problem. Instead of not being able to write due to lack of ideas, I can't write due to lack of time T-T.) Annnyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and get ready for some Connor and Cole bonding time! ^-^

November 6th, 2038

3:02 PM

Chicken Feed

 

A bright yellow LED blinks rapidly at the side of Connor’s temple, his means of processing the events that transpired early in the morning. Connor stared at Cole through the rearview mirror of the car, watching him look out the window with a distant stare. The child had stayed silent the entire ride, his expression blank and tired. The android doesn’t know what to make of him yet, but couldn’t deny he seems to contrast his father in an almost comical way. For some odd reason though, Connor feels like the boy is hiding something. However, according to the Lieutenant, the boy never keeps secrets. Connor finds that hard to believe.

As soon as the three arrive at their destination, Hank pulls over to park at the side of a burger joint called “Chicken Feed”. Connor watches as the boy’s eyes light up like fireworks at the sight of this seemingly unkempt food establishment. Impatiently, Cole opened the car door next to him and runs out into the light rain, despite his prosthetic already constricting a little from the hydration. “Aw for Christ’s sake, Cole, wait up! Ah, fuck it…” Hank relents after trying to calm down his energetic son. Hank quickly leaves the car to scold his son for going out in the rain with no coat. A taxicab nearly runs over Hank, causing the Lieutenant to get irritated, promptly giving the driverless car the finger as it drives off.

Connor stays in the car for a moment, debating whether or not to go interrupt what is clearly a family-only lunch meeting. Amanda would be very displeased if the android didn’t at least attempt to convince Hank to go on another case. Since staying in the car would complicate his orders from CyberLife, the android leaves the vehicle, the pouring rain not affecting him in the slightest.

The android forms a new objective: Reconcile with Lieutenant Anderson and his son.

As the machine walks towards the questionable food joint, he hears a conversation in passing between the father-son duo and the food server,

“Hey Hank, how you doin’?” The man behind the food cart greeted in a friendly tone.  
“Eh, you know, same old shit,” Hank replies, but it’s not out of bitterness. Connor can tell that these two are on good terms. It’s only when the food server notices Lieutenant Anderson’s son that his pleasant smile is replaced with a large beam, “Hey kiddo! It’s been ages!” He laughs, the two fist bumping in greeting. “Hi, Gary! You're not going to believe what happened today, my dad let me go on a case!” Cole exclaimed excitedly, careful not to spare too many details. His father is right behind him after all.

“Woah kid looks like your gonna take after your old man someday!” Gary teases, causing Hank to grunt in response. ‘Like that shit will ever happen anyways…’ Hank thought bitterly, but his content façade never wavers. Connor walks behind the two, observing his surroundings. He issues a face scan of the people around him. Whilst Hank is conversing with an African American male, he scans his face.

Pedro Aabdar.

Unemployed.

Approximately 33 years old.

Born January 1st, 2005.

Criminal Record: Illegal Gambling, Fraud.

Connor narrows his eyes but doesn’t say anything. He moves on to scan the food server; the one Cole seems to have an affinity with.

Gary Kayes.

Business Owner.

Approximately 50 years old.

Born December 3rd, 1988.

Criminal Record: Resisting Arrest, Breaching of Hygiene Regulations.

After the android finishes scanning the two humans, he notes that the food licensing in this place has… much to be desired. He reads the expired certification intently, unimpressed; a grade of C.

Lieutenant Anderson lets his son eat here?

“Last shit-hot tip you gave me set back a week’s wages, Pedro…” Hank hesitates, not sure if he wants to gamble in front of his son. Pedro snickers, figuring Hank would be suspicious this time around, “Come on, this is different! It’s one hundred percent guaranteed, you can’t go wrong!” The gambler insists.  
“Yeah right,” Hank scoffs. When Cole isn’t present during his lunch break, Hank usually gambles with Pedro, but the last couple of bets haven’t ended up so smoothly. Cole doesn’t need to know this, but Hank has lost almost 500 dollars in bets alone. However, on those rare days, a bet did go well, Hank could win up to almost 2000 dollars to do whatever he wants with it. One time, the man bought Cole a PlayStation 9 on release day! Another time, he bought his son a rare Batman action figure dating back to the year 2000 for his eighth birthday.

No matter how many bets he won though, Hank always used that money to get his son something nice. He needs him to know that he loves him. That he would give him the world if he could. Thankfully, the boy is too preoccupied talking with Gary and catching up with him to notice his father partaking in his ‘hobby.’ Hank decides the pros outweigh the cons with the bet, and he relents.

“Alright I’m in,” he gives Pedro the cash.  
“Damn straight!” he replies, satisfied that Hank trusted him enough to bet again. Connor watches as the gambler walks off, eyes following the man.

“Hey! You won’t regret this!” Pedro assures as he disappears into the fog. The android moves next to Hank after the gambler leaves, hoping to start a conversation. Hank sighs when he notices the persistent machine move next Hank, mentally facepalming. When does this android know when to quit? “What is your problem? Don’t you ever do as your told?” Hank asks irritably. Connor only stared at him, tilting his head slightly. Cole finishes talking with Gary for a moment to marvel at Connor’s posture. Connor catches Cole’s stare and smiles pleasantly at the child, hoping to establish a friendly presence to his superior’s son. Cole smiles back and runs to sit at one of the tables, absentmindedly staring off into the distance. Hank notices the exchange and breathes a frustrated sigh, “Look, I get my son likes you and all, but you don’t have to follow us around like a fuckin’ poodle!” Hank complains while Connor only stares back with curious eyes.

Connor stares at the ground for a moment, not sure how to reply to Hank’s mean-spirited comment. The android processes the information presented to him and comes to a sudden realization that Hank would probably be most comfortable talking about his son. It’s no secret the hard-boiled detective loves that boy more than any human in his life, and Connor could see why. The boy contains irregular levels of human empathy and innocence most children simply do not possess. Connor could tell that’s the reason Lieutenant Anderson cares so deeply about him.

“Your son is very pleasant to be around. I quite like him.” Connor compliments with a smile, causing Hank to raise his eyebrows in approval.

“Yeah well, its hard not to. At school, teachers always praise him for being one of the smartest kids in his class. On top of that, he’s just a really friendly boy, rarely misbehaving. I could go on and on about how amazing he is- wait a minute…” Hank narrowed his eyes. Connor looks around innocently as Kayes hands the detective two burgers and two pineapple passions in a paper bag and cup container. After he grabs his and his son’s lunch he glares at the android,

“If you think complimenting my son is going to make me hate you any less, then you’re as stupid as you look!” He replies in a hostile tone. The android looks confused for a moment, “That was not my intention, Lieutenant, though I will admit your son’s personality is a breath of fresh air compared to your unprofessionalism.” Connor insults, glaring back.

“You son of a bitch-!”

“Dad, if you keep being mean to him, he’s only gonna say mean things back,” Cole states in a matter-of-factly tone, still waiting at the table for his food. Hank’s mouth was left agape, shocked that his own son would defend a hunk of plastic instead of his own father, while Connor glances at him with a victorious smirk, strutting to the table where the child was waiting. Hank grunts and walks to the table as well, muttering the words ‘fuckin’ kids’ under his breath.

As soon as the three were all at the table, Cole’s happy-go-lucky face lit up when he saw the delicious food his father brought him. “Gary’s chicken burgers are the best!” He says happily munching on the food with his mouth full. Hank smiled at his son’s eagerness, but Connor’s presence almost ruins the moment for him.

The android stares at their interaction like a psychologist examining and recording an abnormal irregularity in the human psyche. He notes that Hank’s personality changes around his son, and wonders how the man could be in such a pitiful state despite having someone to love and love in return. Things like this only confuse the android, for he himself could never grasp such concepts.

Connor decides to strike a conversation with the two, “Do you two eat here often?” He asks perceptively. Hank and Cole stare at each other, and then nod simultaneously, “Most days,” Hank answers for the both of them. The auburn-haired child fiddles with the straw of his soda drink, “Gary is really nice, and he doesn’t charge us at all because we’re friends. Plus he kinda owes my dad,” the boy jokes with a face that showcased second-hand embarrassment for Gary. Hank laughs at the memory, remembering the time Gary freaked out because of a certain issue with food licensing and a diarrhea case that sent Gavin shitting for days on end. A fond memory indeed. Connor nods at their answer, and while unable to fully understand a joke in passing, he could sense the happiness his question caused the two. Perhaps establishing a friendly relationship was the best course of action, Hank seemingly more cooperative to work with now. “Is there anything you’d like to know about me?” Connor inquires,

“Hell no!”  
“Heck yeah!” The two said in unison, clear as day who said what. Hank sighed and let his son ask away,

“What kind of things can you do? Can you clock someone in five seconds flat with robot kung-fu mastery? Oh! Or maybe you can solve a problem faster than any normal person could with high tech intelligence! Or maybe,” the excitable child gasps,  
“You have x-ray vision! I mean, I think that’s obvious since you knew about my prosthetic even though I was trying to hide the fact I have one, but still!” Cole paused in order to catch his breath, his father looking at the boy with a teasing expression, “Done yet?” the lieutenant quips lightly.

Connor looks a bit intrigued that the child has more interest in the android then his father does, and begins answering,

“I am equipped with an abundance of functions. I can speak over five thousand languages, all in their proper dialect. I can also check samples in real time effectively like a forensic lab,”

Hank gags when the android brings up his oral tendencies,

“As for your question about my combat skills, CyberLife programmed me with the ability to use a firearm with deadly precision, along with a variety of martial arts skills, and stronger physical capabilities. I also possess the fastest processor CyberLife has ever created, allowing me to formulate thousands of different problem-solving skills in seconds, and intelligence of the likes no ordinary android could possess,” Connor finishes, leaving the young boy speechless while his superior looks unimpressed as usual.

“What about the x-ray vision?” Cole reminds, while his father looks a bit flustered that his son would ask about that again.

“Oh, yes, I suppose I do possess a form x-ray vision in a way,” Connor confirms pensively, flicking a coin from his jacket pocket.

“Okay, it’s official, you’re the coolest android ever,” Cole exclaims as he watches the android do his signature coin trick. Connor smiles at the young boy warmly and feels a software irregularity flood his system after he says his compliment.

“Alright, alright that’s enough stroking Connor’s ego, son. What I want to know is why did CyberLife make you look so goofy and give you the funny voice?” Hank questions, genuinely curious to know why they made him look as non-threatening as possible.

“CyberLife androids are designed to work harmoniously with humans. Both my appearance and voice were specifically designed to facilitate my integration,” he informs, speaking in a concise manner.

Hank makes an ‘o’ shape with his mouth before replying,

“Well they fucked up,” he concludes.

Cole gave his dad a warning glance before countering his own argument,

“Well I still think you’re cool,” Cole says while sipping his pineapple passion soda.

Hank finishes his drink after a couple of minutes, moving on to the rest of his half-eaten burger. His son began to shake involuntarily as a response from the cold, despite the rain having stopped already. The boy gave a soft sneeze, his nose beginning to run. Hank notices his son’s state and acts accordingly, taking off his own jacket and giving it to the young boy, “Alright son, how about you let your old man here talk about work with Connor while you eat in the car? Trust me, you don’t wanna get sick,” The man says gently, patting his son on the back. Cole doesn’t want to go to the car, as shown by his expression, but he obliges.

“Okay dad,” he says with a smile, running back to the car with his father’s coat. The Lieutenant lets out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding and looks down for a moment, “So I guess you’ve done all your homework, right? Know everything there is to know about me?” Hank assumes, taking a bite from his burger.

Staring straight at Hank, he replies honestly, “I know you graduated top of your class… You made a name for yourself in several cases and became the youngest Lieutenant in Detroit,” As Connor is telling his superior what he knows about him, Hank stares off into the direction of his parked car, remembering his life before God decided that he had been too happy, and needed to suffer like the rest of the world. The man did use to give a damn, and have a good reputation, once upon a time. Now he barely tries anymore, despite the fact that three years should have been enough time to grieve. He realizes deep down, that without her, he’s a shell of his former self. Hank suddenly wishes that pineapple passion he just finished had been whiskey.

“I also know you received several disciplinary warnings over the years, and, you spend a lot of time in bars,” Connor finishes, looking down at his jacket pocket again.

“So what’s your conclusion?” Hank asks bitterly, not at all looking forward to the cold hard truth. He knows he’s a failure, despite his curiosity to know if his partner thinks so as well.

Connor pauses, thinking for a moment. Eventually, he comes up with an answer,

“I know you are an experienced officer, and I know you are going through personal issues at the moment. But I would like to earn you and your son’s trust. I admit that I am curious to know why your son has an outdated prosthetic and yet he remains positive about life. It’s… admirable.” Connor admits before continuing,

“Working with a family going through personal issues is an added challenge, but adapting to human unpredictability is one of my features.” He winks.

Connor’s LED begins to flash yellow as he gains a message from the DPD. “I just got a report of a suspected deviant nearby. It’s only a few blocks away. We should have a look.”

Hank stares at the android as he stops leaning from the lunch table. “I’ll wait with Cole while you finish your meal,” Having said this, Connor walks to the car, Cole smiling as he waits for him.  
Hank sighs before getting up. No way he was leaving Cole alone with an android of any kind. No matter how much he adores them.

 

* * *

 

3:47 PM

Urban Farms Apartments

 

“Uhh dad, is he out of batteries or something?” Cole pokes the staunch robot as if trying to press a button to turn him back on again. Hank face-palmed and snapped his fingers loudly.

“Yo Connor, you're worrying my son here!” The detective nagged.

The android’s eyes snapped open, and he looked down to see the boy poking him in a curious fashion. Cole breathed a sigh of relief when he notices the android’s confused expression, “Oh good, your fine!” He jabbed as he got out of the elevator.

“I’m sorry. I was making a report to CyberLife.” He explains.

There’s an awkward pause for a moment, Cole standing idly while Hank is impatiently waiting for the android to step out of the elevator.

“Well do you plan on staying in the elevator?” Hank asks sarcastically.

“No! I’m coming.”

After the awkward exchange, Connor notices a look of disgust coming from the younger boy, his face scrunching up comically. “Eugh! This place smells worse than a dumpster fire on steroids!” He complains outright, covering his nose. Hank disagreed. Carlos Ortiz’s house smelled worse than a garbage fire on steroids. This was close though. “Trust me son, this is pretty tamed compared to the shit I’ve seen. Anyways, Connor, what do we know about this guy anyway?” Hank asks, him already being next to the apartment door.

“Not much, just that a neighbor reported that he heard strange noises coming from this floor. No one's supposed to be living up here, but he claims he saw the suspected deviant with an LED under his cap.” Connor informs, flicking his coin idly before knocking the door to the apartment. Hank looked at his son before speaking,

“Alright Cole, I’m going to set a few ground rules for when we go in. Don’t touch anything, don’t do anything, and if you so much as see anything out of the ordinary, call me or the plastic idiot here. Got it? This is your first and last time being directly involved in a case, so you better follow directions. I would have left you in the car, but I don’t trust you to be by yourself anymore, so I have no choice but to bring you along. Just,” Hank crouched down so that he could emphasize his point. “Don’t do anything stupid okay? I really, really mean it this time, kiddo.” The man warns, his son looking shamefully on the floor.

“Yes dad, I’ll do what you say this time…” Cole says, but he doesn’t promise. The boy knows deep down that if he saw another deviant in there, only wanting to be free and live his life normally, he would probably hide him like he did with the girl and her android mother.

‘I couldn’t take it anymore, I just couldn’t take it anymore!’  
Cole’s memory flashes back to the android he saw inside the containment cell, the poor thing banging its-no- his head on the glass in desperation.

‘That android was not an _it_ ,’ Cole scolds himself harshly. After seeing that android, coupled with the girl and her android mother, he didn’t have the heart to call deviants it.

The lieutenant nods in a satisfied manner before hearing a bang from the other side of the door.

Connor stepped away from the door instinctively,

“Stay behind me boys,” Hank ordered, drawing his weapon.

Connor put his arm in front of the child, muttering the words “Got it,” before Hank kicked down the door like those famous cop movies from the early 2000s.

The three stealthily walked inside the apartment complex, careful not to draw too much attention to themselves. They walked the corridor leading into the living room area before opening the door to a bunch of

“BIRDS!” Hank and Cole screamed in unison as pigeons flew into their general direction, causing both of them to scream like little girls. Connor looks at them with a confused expression, “What seems to be the problem?” he asks naively.

“Rats with wings!” Cole shivers, his ornithophobia resurfacing like a submarine.

“God, what the fuck is this?!” Hank shouts, just as ornithophobic as his son.

Connor raises his eyebrow but doesn’t question the Andersons’ irrational fear of birds.

The trio walks around, all in different directions. Immediately, Cole goes to the area where there is the least amount of birds, which is near a poster that sponsors Urban Farms. Hank maneuvers around the flock of pigeons, muttering and cursing the whole way through. The first thing Connor does is head for the bathroom. He immediately notices an LED on the once porcelain sink, and traces of blue blood. Out of curiosity, Cole braves through the flock of pigeons (albeit wincing and trying not to cry) and tries to watch what the android is doing.

Connor dips two fingers in the blue blood sample and gently licks them.

“Uh, dad? Did Connor just **lick** blue blood?” Cole tries not to gag in disgust.

“It’s okay, son. I never get used to it either.” Hank reassures, gaging as well at the thought.

After Connor finishes sampling, he turns to the child. “Remember, I check samples in real time. It’s one of the features I mentioned earlier.” He reminds, a smile playing at his features.

Cole’s expression indicates he is internally screaming.

“That is definitely one of your least cool features, dude.” Cole quips, promptly moving away from the bathroom.

Cole spends a good five minutes “doing nothing” while Connor and his father are still looking over the evidence laid around them. The boy is about to run out of patience when he hears a quiet rumble from above him. He looks up to see a dark gaping hole, however, once he looks closer; he can make out the shape of a man hiding in the ceiling. The boy gasps, nearly tripping over himself, but he quickly covers his mouth before anyone hears him. The man or deviant looks frightened, mouthing the word ‘please’ at the child.

Cole sighs, knowing what he has to do. The boy gave thumbs up at the deviant, to show he wasn’t going to say anything. The deviant looked shocked at his gesture, not expecting a human to help him hide, but he is clearly thankful.

A few more minutes pass, and Hank is losing patience too. “Come on Connor, let's just get out of here, the deviant’s clearly not here. We wasted our fucking time…” The police lieutenant grumbled, tired and wanting to go home.

“No. I know its here! Wait a minute…” Connor looks over at the cage he analyzed and reaches a conclusion.

“The deviant couldn’t have escaped. There’s not enough time present in the duration we spent here, and we heard a noise before entering. We’ve checked everything except the walls and ceilings. That has to be where it is!” Connor insists, moving in Cole’s direction.

“I-I didn’t see anything in the ceilings!” the boy says desperately, trying and failing to cover for the rogue android. Connor narrows his eyes, catching the boy’s lie.

“Cole, where is it?” Connor asks coldly, his machine programming taking over. The boy’s complexion pales, never having seen Connor act so mean before.

“CONNOR, THAT’S ENOUGH, WE’RE LEAVING!” Hank demanded angrily from the other side of the room. He can tell Connor is upsetting his son from a mile away.

“He’s lying, Hank! Cole knows where the deviant is!” Connor replies angrily, giving the boy a frightening glare.

Cole begins to tear up, realizing that at his core, Connor was built to hunt the very thing he was protecting. It breaks his heart. The android doesn’t show any pity at his expression and makes a move to grab the child.

Before things can escalate to an even worse state, the deviant jumps from the ceiling and tackles Connor. Connor struggles to get up, but the deviant hurriedly gets off of him and turns to the child.

He looks over to Cole, saying something so quietly to him that only he could hear it, before running out of the apartment.

Hank is shocked and overwhelmed by the scenario that just played out, but Connor was right. Cole had known. That’s no excuse to be an asshole to his son though. Nevertheless, Hank gets back on task,

“What are you waiting for?! Chase it!” Hank orders loudly in his gruff voice.

Without wasting any more time, Connor belts out of the apartment, chasing the deviant.

Cole stands still for a second, feeling the same way he felt when he saw that unstable deviant kill himself in front of him. Scared.

“You wait here Cole, I’m going to make sure that fucker doesn’t get away! By the way, this conversation is not over!” Hank clarified before running after Connor and the deviant.

“Wait I-I’m coming too!” The child replies stubbornly, running as fast as his prosthetic allows him to. He couldn’t let the deviant get caught, there had to be something he could do! Contrary to what most people think in his school, the prosthetic that he wears is lightweight and fast, allowing him to run just as fast as his father could, maybe faster since he’s younger and has a better metabolic state.

Panting and wheezing due to the lack of breathing he was issuing during his run, the boy catches up to his father, running beside him.

“Dad, we can’t let the deviant get caught! It’s wrong and you know it!” he pants, his legs already getting tired. It would be worse if it were raining.

“Goddamnit son, we don’t have time for this! We will discuss this later, so get out of here!” Hank commands in his authoritarian tone, not in the mood to deal with Cole’s nonsense.

Cole didn’t listen and kept running after his father until they reached the top door leading to the roof. It leads right to where the deviant intercepts. Hank burst it open and raises his firearm at the deviant.

“STOP RIGHT THERE!” Hank screams to the deviant, making the android freeze in fear.

“DAD NO, YOU’RE SCARING HIM!” Cole snaps.

“SHUT YOUR GODDANM MOUTH, SON, FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE!” The hardened Lieutenant commanded harshly.

Without hesitation, the man attempted to force arrest the deviant, causing a struggle between the two. Cole watched with anxiety as the deviant pushed his father off the edge of a building, and then promptly moved to run off towards another building.

“DAD!” Cole panicked as he attempts to pull his father from the ledge, but his arms are too weak to pull him.

Meanwhile, Connor has just arrived at the scene and realizes that he is at a crossroads. Cole shoots his head to see Connor and relief crosses his features despite what happened at the apartment. “Connor, help me!” the child pleads, struggling to pull his father up. Connor stares at Cole and feels a pang of guilt, his crying face forever engraved in his software.

‘What happened to me back there?’ Connor asks himself before refocusing on the situation at hand.

Connor analyzes Hank’s survival rate of eighty-three percent, yet he is running towards the two before he fully understands what the data means, and helps the boy pull up Hank from the ledge.  
Hank and Cole collapse on the floor, panting and breathing hard. What a nightmare chase.

“Shit! Oh, SHIT! We had it! Fuck!” Hank shouts in frustration, Cole beside him catching his breath.

“It’s my fault, I should have been faster,” Connor says, taking the blame.

“You would have caught it if it weren’t for me,” Hank realizes, impressed Connor valued human life more than his mission. However, he could admit it didn’t seem that way at first considering he saw how Connor treated his son at the apartment.

Cole gets up and brushes his clothes off from all the dirt and grime he got from the day.

“Dad, I wanna go home,” Cole admits, not once looking at the android in front of him.

Connor felt the guilt at full force now, his face noticeably changing into one of a more regretful expression.

“Cole, I-”

Before Connor could apologize, the boy simply looked away, not giving him a chance to explain himself.

Connor felt something in his program falter when Cole didn’t even stop to look at him. Should he care so much that a child couldn’t even look at him after what he did?

Hank sighs, rubbing his face. Today had been a long day for the three of them, but he couldn’t agree more about going home. “Alright, son lets go home now.” The boy’s father smiled at him, attempting to make him feel better.

Hank and Cole walked to the door of the building leading to the bottom floors, leaving Connor to follow them.

The man wanted to stop and thank Connor for helping to save his life, but some things are just more important. Right now, his son needed to rest. And a bath.


	6. The Andersons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor visits Hank and Cole's house for a new case, but once inside, all he finds is a family desperate to be happy again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was one that I was looking forward to writing for a long time, and that's because I explore a lot of Cole and Connor's relationship here! ^.^ I can't wait to see your guys' feedback and I look forward to getting started on chapter 7!

November 6th, 2038

6:14 PM

Zen Garden

 

Connor stands alone on a blanket of grass, puddles of water forming on the stone pathway of the garden. Droplets of rain splatter on the ground below him, yet the storm itself was in no way chaotic. The android finds the rain comforting in a way. It reflects his current thought process, after all. He walks around the garden to take in the beauty of the place. The very place he resides in emulates a sense of tranquil and beauty, yet the android knows it’s only an illusion of data and codes. Still, he takes a moment to appreciate CyberLife’s enhanced programming capabilities that ensure a safe environment to allocate his reports.

 

The machine has been here numerous times to send out his reports to CyberLife, but he always took the time to visit a certain spot where he could be the closest thing to relaxed in a stressful situation. Before he knows it, he’s standing in front of a lone grave.

 

Connor Mark (I)

RK800 #313 248 317-51

 

Died at Parks Avenue, Detroit

August 15th, 2038.

 

He observed the grave with a pensive look on his face. This Connor had been a previous version of himself. A failed attempt to save the life of a little girl. His predecessor failed that mission, being shot clean through the head as the deviant leapt with the little girl, so desperate to be free that he felt he needed to kill himself and the girl to do so. Connor doesn’t possess any profound memories of the event since his predecessor didn’t upload all his memories onto the machine before his death. He is secretly thankful that he does not possess those memories.

 

Up ahead lies a gazebo where the sole occupant is a lady of dark skin color, tending to some red roses growing on a vineyard.

 

Umbrella in hand, he takes one last look at the grave before he struts his way over to the woman, his posture kept upright to communicate a body language of professionalism. In a place like this, Connor can’t afford to be anything other than what he was designed to be. A machine built to accomplish a task. As he walks towards her, he feels a peculiar irregularity in his system. The android stops when he reaches the gazebo, his expression neutral, but internally he felt wrong. Connor could not for the life of him, figure out why he feels something akin to what humans call sadness.

 

He is a machine.

 

He should not _feel_.

 

The android brushes off the odd feeling as the woman turns around from her work. She looks to be in her early sixties or late fifties, her appearance resembling an ethnicity of African descent.

“Hello Amanda,” Connor greets with a charming smile. She smiles back pleasantly, but her eyes are cold and hollow.

 

“Connor, I’ve been expecting you.” She replies with an air of politeness. She puts down her shears and brushes off her satin white dress, “Would you mind a little walk?” She suggests, never breaking eye contact with the RK800. Connor would never admit it, but Amanda intimidates him with her cold, calculating stare. However, he disregards the look and opens his midnight black umbrella, accompanying the woman like a gentleman. The two walk in silence for a few minutes, just to get a feel for the environment before discussing business. Amanda is pensive, yet hopeful of Connor’s success, and it shows in the way she breaks the ice between them.

“Congratulations Connor, you managed to find the deviant. Tell me, what did you learn?” She eagerly asks, semi-confident the RK800 is on the right track. He takes a moment to remember what he discovered in the apartment and then recalls the writings of rA9 and labyrinths on the walls.

 

“The walls of the apartment were covered with drawings of labyrinths and other symbols. Like the other deviants, it seemed obsessed with rA9…” He trails off, troubled by the circumstances of the symbols. The android wants to make Amanda proud, but he feels he’s already lacking in something that she was displeased with. If she noticed his mood, she doesn’t comment on it and continues to have her serious expression, looking straight ahead.

 

“What else?” She presses. When she asks for information, Connor remembers finding a diary behind the poster Cole stood next to, encrypted with symbols he couldn’t decipher in a single sitting. “I found its diary. But it was encrypted. It may take weeks to decipher.” Connor says regretfully, looking downcast. He doesn’t have a few days to spend on this investigation, let alone a week. Amanda knows this and does not look very pleased. “You came very close to capturing that deviant… And you let it escape,” she remarks coldly, an air of disappointment clear in her voice.

“I have no excuse. I should have been more efficient.” Connor replies with no clear emotion in his voice. He knows he made a mistake. And mistakes won’t happen again since there will be no more interferences in the form of a hyper-empathetic child. The android’s thoughts turn to Lieutenant Anderson’s son, Cole. He should have guessed the young boy would compromise his investigation. He should have noticed the signs. The missing coat, the boy’s nervous laughter at the mention of the deviants...

 

It’s clear as day the boy tried to hide the deviant when they were in the apartment. What he couldn’t understand is why would he go through the trouble of doing so, when his father’s occupation could be on the line?

 

Connor knows he was not designed to understand children. Perhaps that’s why his predecessor failed.

 

“How is your relationship with Lieutenant Anderson developing?” Amanda asks curiously, although not because she doesn’t know the answer to that question, but because she wants to know the android’s perspective of that answer.

 

“He seemed grateful that I help saved his life on the roof. He didn’t say anything, but he expressed it in his own way before taking his son home,” Connor answers formally, although there’s a hint of satisfaction from saving his partner’s life. He did not think to look at his survival rate, but he’s still content with that decision. It made Hank like him just that little bit more. Amanda’s expression turns sour at the mention of the child.

“And… That boy,” Amanda remarks, before continuing, “what do you make of him?”

 

Connor froze when she brought him up, and for once, he didn’t know how to reply. He tightened the grip of his umbrella, still feeling incredibly guilty that he made him cry. Of course, he couldn’t show guilt in front of his superior and regained his composure. The android masks his emotions and replies in a monotonous tone; “he compromised our mission twice now, and has been helping the deviants escape. However, it will not be a problem anymore, Amanda. He returns to school this Monday and he will not be participating in any more cases from now on. He should not interfere with this investigation.” The woman looks somewhat relieved with his reply, but she presses on for information,

“Connor,” she calls firmly, walking along the stone pavement ahead of him. He looked at her back turned against him, and felt a sense of dread.

“This boy is affecting the way you process information. It’s almost as if you feel something for him,” she accused scornfully, and her suspicions are confirmed when Connor’s façade breaks very subtly when she turns again to look at his wide eyes of shock.

 

“We don’t have much time. Deviancy continues to spread; it’s only a matter of time before the media finds out about this. We need to stop it. _Whatever it takes_.” She announced firmly, a cold glare still very present on her face. She turns heel and looks back at Connor,

 

“Even if it means you have to sacrifice your relationship with others. Cole may be a sweet boy, but do not let his beliefs cloud your judgment. You are a machine built and capable of killing anyone who stands in the way of your mission. If you had to choose between his life and the life of hundreds of thousands of innocent humans, who would you choose?” She probed, awaiting Connor’s answer.

 

For what seemed like an eternity, he just stood there and said nothing. It’s frightening how nothing gets passed her, how with a simple look, she can figure out even the deepest recesses of Connor’s psyche. “I understand, Amanda. I would sacrifice him if absolutely necessary,” he answers as firmly as he can muster. She seems pleased with his response, walking away from him with a mysterious smile as if she knows something secret and dangerous about him that Connor has yet to figure out. He’s left to stand alone with his thoughts, hearing the soft hints of thunder in the horizon.

 

Just like that, the garden seems all the less tranquil.

* * *

 

7:30 PM

Hank’s House

 

 

Thunder roars in the sky, a sense of foreboding overtaking the tight-knit neighborhood the Andersons reside in. A driverless taxi pulls over in the driveway of a dingy, yet quaint house. The smell of musk and soil rotted the air to its core, truly capturing the ghetto-like environment they live in.

 

“We have reached your destination. Thank you for traveling with Detroit Taxis. We look forward to seeing you again soon.” An automated voice message plays from the vehicle.

 

Out steps Connor from the taxi, ready to join his Lieutenant in a new case that was presented to him in the late hours of the afternoon. The android steps on the concrete pathway, and looks straight ahead on the small but quaint house. He caught sight of some mold growing on the old rotted wood of the foundation and views the abandoned porch seat that sways forwards and backward as the wind carries it. The house looks lived in, yet abandoned at the same time. He also notices weeds and tall grass in the front yard of the building, a clear indication that Lieutenant Anderson does not care too much about the unsightliness the overgrown yard emits. Then, the robot walks near the garage to inspect the car, a precaution to make sure he was at the right house.

 

Ford Cortina, 1982; Hank’s car.

 

The android walks up the steps of the front porch and knocks on the door. “Lieutenant Anderson!” He yells from the front of the house. When he doesn’t receive a reply, he presses on the doorbell. It produces a loud, alarming tune that vibrates throughout the house, yet no one answers. “Anybody home?” The android asks as his eyebrows crease in confusion, perplexed at the lack of response. Are Lieutenant Anderson and his son going out this time of night? He holds the doorbell again for a moment longer, it’s piercing cry radiating throughout the building. No one answers. Connor simulates a feeling of slight annoyance, but nevertheless, marches his way to the back of the depressing house. He ponders about all of the possible scenarios that may have taken place since he left. Hank at the bar, Cole at a friend’s house, etcetera, etcetera.

 

Perhaps they’re still at the station?

 

Soon enough, Connor reaches the back of the house, and there are two windows present. In one window, he can see a dog, presumably Sumo, perched on a large cushiony bed, sound asleep. The other window, however, has a more concerning image. It’s Lieutenant Anderson, seemingly unconscious on the floor with a bottle of what the android assumes to be whiskey spilled on the floor.

 

“Lieutenant Anderson!” Connor gasped, stepping back in shock. ‘He must have been attacked! Where’s Cole?!’ Connor thought, panic seeping into his software. He could never live with himself if the boy got hurt. Without warning, he burst through the window, the sound of glass breaking resounding in the household. Immediately after sitting up, a large, very scary dog began sniffing the android. “Easy…Sumo!” Connor calmed the large animal, and smiled nervously, “I’m your friend… see? I know your name.” He answered in a nervous tone, putting his hand up to assert some kind of distance. The dog looks at Connor; calmer now that he realizes the android didn’t really mean any harm.

 

“I’m here to save your owner,” Connor says worriedly, looking over at Hank’s unconscious form. The St. Bernard barks once, tail wagging, before walking back to his cushiony bed to go back to sleep. Connor gets up from his awkward position and looks over at Hank so see his unconscious form. He does a quick analysis. The android finds traces of whiskey on the man’s mouth, a spilled bottle of scotch next to him, and he seems to be in a catatonic state. Suddenly a loud slam from another part of the house rings throughout, and suddenly a boy with a metal baseball bat comes rushing in the kitchen.

 

“ALRIGHT, SHOW YOURSELF- AGHH! CONNOR IT’S _YOU_!” Cole shouts with a horrified expression on his face, his voice cracking as he drops his baseball bat. He startles the android so bad his LED goes red for a second. Connor regains his composure after the boy’s outburst, but clearly, he has spooked the boy silly. “Cole, did you know your father was drinking?” Connor probes, concerned that the Lieutenant’s child wouldn’t be aware of such actions. Cole glares at the floor hard, feeling tense. “…Yeah. This is nothing new. I thought he had stopped, but he never does. He never will.” The child barks in a bitter tone, angry that his father would give in to the temptation _again_. Connor takes a note of the boy’s anger and doesn’t press for more information. It’s not his place to ask, but he is curious. “How do you get him to wake up?” The android asks, shaking Hank in an attempt to wake up. Cole scoffs at the notion, popping beside the android. “Honestly, at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if a slap didn’t wake dad up,” Cole remarks, his anger turning into sadness as indicated from his tone. Connor decides to test that theory, and bitch-slaps the poor man, causing Hank to grunt.

“See?” Cole affirms nonchalantly, not at all surprised.

 

“Wake up, Lieutenant! It’s me, Connor!” Connor stresses, hovering above the older man curiously. Cole sighs, disappointed, but not surprised. Connor grabs the man’s arm and slings it over his shoulder.

 

“I’m going to sober you up for your own safety. Cole, can you help me?” Connor asks amidst the groans and shouts of resistance from the detective. “Sure,” the kid shrugs as he helps to lift his dad up, grabbing his waist to keep him upright. “Hey! Leave me alone you fuckin’ android! Get the fuck outta my house!” Hank bellows as he is being taken to the nearest restroom. “I’m sorry Lieutenant, but I need you,” Connor replies in a matter-of-factly tone, forcing Hank to follow him with his son’s help. The child struggled to keep his dad upright.

 

“Sumo! Attack!”

“Bark!”

“Good dog.” Hank slurs, his tone lighthearted and stupid. Cole rolls his eyes, his face reddening in both anger and embarrassment.

 

“Dad, what the heck have you been eating?!” Cole complains under the weight of his father, making sure his dad doesn’t collapse against the wall. “Fuck I think I’m going to be sick!” Hank cries exhaustedly, slumping face first against the plaster.

 

“For the love of god, dad, don’t throw up on me _again_!” Cole snaps, fed up with his dad’s undignified state. Connor opens the bathroom door and pulls Hank inside. “Aw leave me alone, son, I’m not going anywhere…” Hank protests, grabbing the doorframe. Cole cringes, slapping his father’s hand away from the doorframe. “Dad, you’re embarrassing me in front of a robot!” The child shudders, throwing the hood of his hoodie over his head, and tightening the strings so that the hood swallows him whole.

 

Connor glances at the young boy and stifles a laugh. The boy doesn’t seem to notice, but when the android realizes he had the urge to laugh in the first place, his expression contorts into one of terror. ‘No… No Amanda was right. The child is causing me to act inappropriately. This is bad…’ Connor thought to himself, conflict raging in his processor. Like always though, the android pushes the thought away and refocuses back to the situation at hand. He pushes the man against the tub, prompting him to get inside it. Lieutenant Anderson is still protesting though, his drunken state causing him to act goofy. “What the hell are you doing helping this plastic prick, son?” Hank whimpers pathetically, believing his son is betraying him in some way.

 

That’s the last straw.

 

“UGHH DAAD! This is officially the worst day ever! Both of you are just stupid assholes who only care about yourselves!” Cole hollered, storming out of the bathroom, then slamming the door shut with a loud bang. Connor and Hank are left speechless, and after a long pause, the Lieutenant sighs sorrowfully, sitting on the bathtub willingly. The boy never curses, so for him to say any kind of profanity is just… wrong.

 

Hank palms his face in regret, and then sobs openly, making the android in front of him feel uncomfortable and awkward.

 

“I’m so fucking pathetic! I can’t even prevent my son from cussin’ like a sailor now!” Hank wails, big fat tears streaming down his flushed face. Connor is shocked at the Lieutenant’s reaction and does not know what to do.

 

The android feels something when he sees the Lieutenant cry so openly. Perhaps it’s guilt or pity. Maybe even both. After thinking about it for a moment, the android decides to use his superior’s vulnerable state to his advantage, “perhaps working on this case will give your son time to calm down a bit.” Connor suggests, his objective still strictly about the case. Hank glares daggers at the android, seething with anger now, “fuck your stupid plastic ass case! Get the fuck out of this house!” Hank bellows but stumbles deeper in the tub due to his anger.

 

Connor’s face falls flat, and he’s just about had it with Anderson as well. Purely out of spite, he turns on the shower nozzle and drenches the Lieutenant with ice-cold water. Instantly, Hank begins flailing his arms, screaming like an idiot. “Turn it off! Turn it off!” He begs, prompting his partner to turn off the shower. Finally, the water seems to do the trick, because now Lieutenant Anderson looks confused, but less drunk, “What the fuck are you doing here?”

 

“A homicide was reported 43 minutes ago. I assumed you would be home taking care of your son, so I came to see if you were here.” Connor explains with a neutral expression. Hank sighs, and sits on the bathtub height extender, “Jesus, I must be the only cop in the world who gets assaulted in his own house by his own fucking android…” Hank half-jokes; a monstrous headache forming in his temple. Hank looks up to the android hovering above him, perceiving him to be a judgmental prick, “can’t you just leave us alone?” Anderson attempts to ask politely.

 

“Maybe you should drop the case. They’ll assign someone else, and I can focus on my mission.” Connor argues harshly, not willing to have Hank participate in this case with his drunken state.

 

“Your goddamn mission, that’s all you care about, huh?” Hank ranted.

 

“Listen, Lieutenant, you’re not yourself. Cole is angry with you because you refuse to seek help, and now he won’t talk to either of us! Is this really the kind of father you want to be? Maybe he deserves better than you!” Connor remarks with venom in his voice. He no longer has the patience to deal with this man. The android doesn’t know why but seeing Hank like this when Cole needs his father more than anyone pisses him off. He feels protective of the boy, and he’s fully aware of that. Amanda be damned.

 

Hank doesn’t reply right away and looks behind the android to see the bathroom door his son slammed not too long ago. He still feels like shit, but Connor is right. He can’t just stay here and drink away his sorrows. Cole is already disappointed in him; he doesn’t need him to hate him either. If only Heather was still around…

 

She was better at parenting then Hank ever was. Hank only needed to work and be his son’s best buddy, but now he has to be responsible for Cole in ways only his mother could be. And he’s had to play the role of mother and father for three years now. The grief is still fresh and seething, but even his wife would be disappointed in him.

“You know what Connor? You’re right. I suppose I could use some fresh air anyways. There's some clothes in my bedroom across the bathroom.” Hank refers to in a sluggish tone, feeling drowsy all of a sudden. The man lost all energy to argue with the android.

 

Connor nods to Hank, “I’ll go get them,” he grinned, satisfied he finally got through to the Lieutenant.

 

Connor struts to the man’s bedroom and asks what Hank wants to wear. Hank moans a broken ‘whatever’, prompting Connor to pick something for him. He decides to go with the least ridiculous looking outfit, and goes for the hippy outfit. He quickly delivers the clothes and sees Hank dry heaving against the toilet.

 

“Are you alright Lieutenant?” Connor asks, worry present in his tone.

 

“Yeah, yeah… Wonderful. Just gimme five minutes okay?” He requests.

 

“Sure,” Connor replies and leaves the bathroom, the sound of Hank vomiting in the background almost alarms the android.

 

After he left, Connor decides that he could use this time to learn more about his superior. Connor walks into the living room first and sees various items placed all around the house. There is a record player beside the television with jazz albums neatly organized on the shelf. Hank likes jazz, it seems, since there are a variety of jazz singers present in his collection. After looking at Hank’s albums, Connor makes his way to the large St. Bernard, Sumo, who sleeps peacefully on his bed. The android takes a moment to pet the dog gently, feeling drawn to the large creature. Sumo whines in satisfaction, loving the attention from the android. After a few more pats, Connor moves on to another room.

 

The android walks towards the kitchen, glancing at the takeout boxes and garbage littered all over the dining table. The only object that stands out from the mess is a single framed photograph that is put face down on the table. Hesitating a little bit, Connor picks up the framed photograph.

 

It’s a wedding photo.

 

A photo of Hank and his wife.

 

The photo was taken outdoors; the two were nuzzled in close proximity, a large happy smile present in both of their faces. Hank has his arms around the smaller woman, and he looks remarkably young and handsome, completely unrecognizable. The woman next to him is beautiful: golden hair that shines in the sunlight and a summer wedding gown that was pure white with gold accents. The two look happy, as if they were truly and deeply in love.

Connor does a face scan of the woman.

 

Heather Anderson (Maiden Name: Lynn)

 

Nursing Assistant at St. John’s Hospital

 

Approximately 49 years old

 

Born October 17th, 1986

 

Died October 11th, 2035

 

Criminal Record: None

 

_Hank lost his wife._

 

Connor’s expression softens, understanding Lieutenant Anderson a little more now. He figured the man lost someone he loved, but seeing it at face value was all the more impactful. It does explain why the man feels unworthy to raise his own son. He gently puts down the wedding photo and leaves the kitchen. Since Hank is taking longer than usual, he decides to check on the Lieutenant’s son. Connor struts his way in front of the room that’s squarely across from the master bedroom. He stands in front of the room, unsure of how to get the boy’s attention. He knocks on the door, hoping Cole would notice his presence,

 

“Cole?” Connor calls, worried about the child.

 

“Go away,” says the muffled voice behind the door.

 

Being the curious android he is, Connor opens the door anyway and finds Cole sitting upright on his bed, comic book open. When Connor steps inside, he realizes he’s getting the silent treatment from the boy. He takes in his surroundings.

 

The room is colorful and boyish. The walls are painted sky and navy blue, and the carpeted floors are littered with toys, action figures, and a plethora of comic books scattered here and there. Across his bed is a medium-sized television hooked up to various kinds of game consoles. Out of everything that stood out though, is the wall dedicated to housing a large bookshelf that contains more comic books, classic Funko Pop figures, and video game hard copies ranging from Nintendo all the way to PlayStation. The only other time Connor has been in a child’s room was when his predecessor investigated Emma Phillips. Her room contrasted Cole’s to a great degree.

 

Connor walks slowly towards the boy, as not to startle him, and stiffly sits on the very edge of the bed to give him plenty of space. Cole doesn’t notice him until he sees the android’s reflection on the shiny pages of the laminated comic book. The boy sighs, puts the book down, and looks away from Connor’s guilt-ridden expression. He’s still mad at him for what happened earlier that day, and he cannot find it in himself to talk to him. “Have I upset you in any way, Cole?” Connor asks, already knowing the answer to that question. The boy in question sniffs, his nose runny from being out in the rain all day, “what do you think?” He pouts, still not looking at him.

 

“I’m sorry!” Connor blurts all of a sudden, not able to contain himself anymore. Cole resists the urge to look at him, “what for?” He questions, plopping his form upright to sit on his knee and stubby left leg.

 

“For… For making you cry,” Connor admits, fully aware he’s feeling immense software instability at the moment. The error message is blaring his processor to the point it makes the android dizzy, but he wouldn’t be able to function properly if he did not apologize to the child. Cole finally musters the courage to look at the android next to him and is pleasantly surprised to see he does look very sorry for what he did.

 

“It’s okay,” he says numbly, eyes becoming downcast. After witnessing his father passed out drunk again for what seems like the millionth time, Cole doesn’t have the mental strength or the will to feel anything but depression. How many more times can his dad do this to himself before it kills him? The thought of one day finding his father passed out on the floor, unable to wake him; it scares him more than anything. Connor tilts his head slightly, his brown doe eyes curious and confused as to why the boy seemed so down, “What’s the matter?” He coaxes, attempting to get the boy to talk to him.

 

“Is my dad gonna die, Connor?” Cole falters, his eyes filling up with tears again. The android’s heart felt heavy at the boy’s despair, causing him to shift uncomfortably.

 

“If your father continues to get intoxicated every night, his blood alcohol levels will increase to dangerously high levels, prompting an ethylic shock-”

 

“So that’s a yes.”

 

“Very much likely, unfortunately,” Connor confirms, feeling like a doctor delivering bad news to a patient. Cole shifts away from the android slightly, not wanting to talk about his father anymore.

 

“May I ask you a personal question, Cole?” The android asks, his hands itching to reach for his coin out of nervousness. The boy raises a skeptical eyebrow before nodding his head in approval.

“On the kitchen table, I saw a wedding photo of your father and another woman. That was your mother, correct?” He pries, eager to know if that was the source of Hank’s unhappiness. Cole glares at the wall at the mention of his mother, but he hesitantly replies, “I don’t wanna talk about it…”

 

Connor looks to the side, feeling bad for bringing up the sensitive subject of his mother. He glances at the comic book placed at Cole’s side. It’s a DC comic book, featuring Catwoman as the star, and Batman as the deuteragonist.

 

“You enjoy the Detective Comic books series? What’s the plotline of this particular comic?” Connor asks with a smile, hoping to cheer up the child. Cole’s eyes light up a little at the mention of the comic book, and he engages in the conversation,

 

“Well… In this comic, Catwoman is traumatized because she gets involved in a gunfight that nearly kills her, and all the people around her were shot to death, so she gets framed for murder! Luckily, Bruce Wayne, you know, Batman, doesn’t believe she killed them, so he offers to help her, but of course she refuses because she’s all like ‘I need to do this alone’ or whatever, so she tracks down the killer and finds out he was part of a conspiracy to monopolize ‘smart guns’ that kill with deadly precision, so she has to work with Batman to get the deadly weapons out of every single person’s possession before a war on guns takes place! It’s a really good read if your anti-gun, but it touches on a lot of social issues and whether or not people should use weapons as a way of life, or solely for the protection of innocent people.” Cole finishes quickly, out of breath after explaining the entirety of the comic’s plot.

 

Connor lets the boy talk for a few more minutes about all the other comics he’s read, and he smiles each time Cole gets more and more excited about a change in the plot, almost as if he were a storyteller. He would entertain his narrating, asking about the character’s abilities, and what they can do, and Cole would happily reply to every single one of his questions.

 

“What do you want to be when you grow up, Cole?” The android asks suddenly, curiosity getting the better of him.

 

Cole’s lit up eyes grow fiery at the question, “More than anything, I want to be like my dad! I mean, minus the crippling depression and alcoholism. Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a cop just so I could help people. I really love the idea of going out there chasing the bad guys, just like the superheroes in my comics! But…” The boy pauses, staring at his prosthetic lying on the carpeted floor. Connor looks to where the boy’s eyes follow, and he understands. “You’re an amputee, making it harder to do well in the physical trials.” He finishes, realizing the sad truth.

 

“I won’t let that stop me. I’ll just have to work twice as hard! Trust me, it’s not easy to get me down for too long. I’ll make dad proud, I know it.” Cole says with determination in his eyes. Connor smiles in admiration at the boy’s grit, believing every word the boy says. ‘A cop, huh? That’s unsurprising since he has a strong sense of justice.’ Connor ponders mentally.

 

A soft knock startles the both of them, prompting the two to look over at the door. Lieutenant Anderson leans at the doorframe, a knowing smile present on his face, “I see you two are getting along,” Hank remarks casually, stepping inside the room. Cole’s expression becomes gloomy at the sight of his father, “Are you feeling better dad?” he asks, getting under the covers of his bed. Hank sighs, kneeling down to his child’s level. “Yeah, I’m sorry you had to find me like that, Cole. I won’t let it happen again…” The Lieutenant promises, eyes still shiny from the tears. The boy looks at his father with pleading eyes, wanting that statement to be true so bad...

 

“Now it’s time for you to go to bed, son. Me and Connor need to take this case, and I won’t be back ‘till later.” The man explains as Connor gets up from sitting on the bed.

 

“Okay dad, stay safe, okay?”

 

“Of course. Goodnight, son.” He coos softly, giving him a quick peck on the forehead. Cole smiles and says goodnight back. The two step out of the room to leave,

 

“Wait! Connor needs to say goodnight too!” Cole insisted, making the two men freeze in puzzlement.

 

“Cole, I’m afraid I cannot do that, it’s not appropriate-”

 

“Cole, Connor’s an android built to kill, he’s literally not able to kiss you goodnight!”

 

“Pleaaaseee? It’s only fair! Plus he’s not _that_ bad.” Cole begs childishly, ready to get on his knees if he has to.

 

Hank sighs, and gives Connor a grumpy look, “Make it quick,”

 

“Lieutenant, I must insist that I cannot perform that action,” Connor says firmly, his LED turning bright yellow.

 

“Cole’s as stubborn as a mule, he ain’t taking no for an answer,” Hank informs in amusement, a smirk playing at his features. Connor looks conflicted, knowing Amanda would disapprove, but after looking at Cole’s puppy-eyed expression…

 

“All right, Cole,” Connor relents, causing the boy to cheer.

 

The android sits on Cole’s bedside again, and gently pecks his forehead, “Goodnight, Cole.” Connor says gently, a warm feeling growing in his chest. Cole smiles, “Goodnight Connor,” he whispers, dozing off quickly in a deep sleep. Connor gets up and leaves ahead of Hank, and the two make their way to the car. Connor insisted he should drive due to Hank heavily drinking in the last few hours. Hank made no objections and gave the android the keys to his car.

 

Connor gets in the driver's seat of the vehicle, Hank sitting next to him,

 

“Does your son always request kisses before bed from their father’s work partner?” Connor asks quizzically, adjusting the mirrors of the car.

 

“Nope, and you can bet your plastic ass you’re never gonna do it again, understand? That’s my thing.” Hank jokes in a firm tone. Connor starts the ignition, pulling out of the driveway.

 

“Lieutenant Anderson, you ordered me to do so,” Connor replies defensively.

 

“Connor, just shut up and take the damn joke!”

 

“Yes, Lieutenant.”

 

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Jammed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Eden Club case proves to be interesting for Connor and Hank. Connor knows the mission is more important than anything, but how far is he willing to go to prove he's not a failure? 
> 
> Meanwhile, Cole has an interesting encounter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys, I know this chapter is super duper delayed, but I have just been so swamped with college applications and preparing for my new school year, that I just haven't had time :(. It's been hectic to say the least. I promise I will make it up somehow! 
> 
> Before we begin, I want to give a HUGE shoutout to my friend Siray over at the Detroit Police Department Discord for helping me with ideas for this chapter! She's been such a huge help, and I am so grateful for her contribution. This chapter's for you Siray, and to everyone else who enjoys this story, so I hope you guys enjoy!

November 6th, 2038

8:17 PM

Eden Club

 

The sound of pop and EDM music fills the air as Connor drives near the entrance of the Eden Club. The decibel intervals the club emitted only made Hank’s growing hangover that much more unbearable, and the old man reached to cover his ears, “Aw… It feels like someone’s playing a drill inside my skull. Dammit, I should be home with my son, not doing detective work at the nearest android orgy! Are you sure this is the right place?” Hank exasperates with pain. Connor turns off the ignition of the car, “It’s the address in the report,” he replies curtly.

 

“Okay, let's get this over with,” Hank sighs, getting out of the car. Connor follows him out and the two head inside the club. The flashing neon lights only made Hank’s headache grow, but he toughens up and gets inside the epilepsy-inducing building. “Sexiest androids in town? Now I know why you insisted on coming here,” Hank jokes as the two pass the holographic caution tape.

 

“Oh boy… I promised my son I’d never, **ever** , set foot in a place like this. He told me that if I did, he’d renounce my dad card. Funkin’ case, man, making me come to a place like this…” Hank mumbles, not entirely sure if Connor’s listening. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but we must know if a deviant was involved in this investigation,” The coin-flipping detective explains. The Lieutenant palms his face, sweat gathering in his pores from all the drinking he’s been doing. All he could hope for was that his wife’s ghost wouldn’t come back to haunt him for coming here, but duty calls, unfortunately. The two make their way through the dozens of sexbots pole dancing or standing sexily on display. It makes Hank want to throw up.

 

‘How many people have fucked these things?’ Hank wonders, shuddering at the thought. Hank hasn’t had any kind of sex drive since his wife’s death, but it’s not like he had time to have one. Cole may just be one child, but his father had to make a ton of sacrifices in order to be as good as a father he could be to him. Hank remembers a time Cole had to be on a wheelchair all through third grade because they couldn’t afford a good enough prosthetic. Those times weren’t the greatest since Cole felt like a liability. Unwanted. Hank had spent a great amount of time trying to make Cole happy in any way. He got Sumo for Cole a few months after the accident, and that definitely boosted Cole’s happiness. After getting his somewhat crappy, but still functional, prosthetic, he would take him to the park with Sumo every weekend, and they’d have the best time just playing for hours.

 

It’s when the grief started to hit the old man like a freight train when Hank found solace in alcohol. Hank sighed, feeling shameful for allowing himself to feel addicted to the toxic substance. Connor does his signature coin flipping as Ben Collins comes over to brief them on the case.

 

“Hey, Hank!” Officer Collins calls from the room to the right. Hank is snapped out of his thoughts, “Hey Ben, how’s it goin’?” Hank greeted with a firm handshake.

 

“Not well. In fact, this whole deviancy case has cops and humans alike on edge…” Officer Collins says tiredly. The Lieutenant frowned and was referred to the room Collins pointed to. Hank and Connor enter the room, finding an unsettling crime scene.

 

“Ah Jesus, I’m not gonna sleep at all tonight aren’t I?” Hank grumbles.

 

Time to start working.

 

* * *

 

 

8:56 PM

Eden Club Storage Room.

 

“Shit! We’re too late!” Hank curses as he runs over to the open transport door.

 

After a few blood samples and abusing the power of Hank’s credit card, the two detectives found their way into the storage room, the most probable location for where the rouge blue-haired Traci went. Hank paces around the room with his gun sheathed, although his suspicion is still high. Something’s off, and Hank can sense it. Connor uses his time to do some investigative work by looking for clues that may point to the Traci’s location. He struts his way over to a large android transport leading outdoors. Traces of blue blood lead to the ominous alleyway. Connor stares at the blue blood trail. He realizes that there are no samples on the pavement leading to the streets, meaning that the Traci is still present in the storage room. Hank watches as the android looks at the statue-like models, all giving off an ominous and unsettling vibe.

 

Hank shudders at the sight and keeps looking at the cluster of models, checking to see if one of them could be the rouge, Traci. It’s not long before Connor does the same thing, and finds a particular cluster of androids near a trail of blue blood. ‘Bingo,’ Thought Connor as he analyzed the models. The blue haired Traci stood in a panic, it’s yellow indicator blaring wildly. However, before Connor could reveal the Traci, anther Traci with ginger short hair pushed him unexpectedly, causing both androids to nearly trip in the struggle. Hank whips his head to the source of the conflict and runs to help his partner.

 

Hank hurriedly pulls his gun, “DON’T MOVE!” He belts out, only to be punched by the blue-haired Traci, surely to cause a bruise on his face. Connor kept fighting with the ginger-haired Traci, trying to slam her head against a metal rail, but failing to once she kicks the rail back. In response, Connor throws the Traci over a storage box with biocomponents, a look of pure determination on his face.

 

He cannot afford to fail.

 

Amanda is counting on him.

 

After he went after to arrest the Traci, she pulled him down and pinned him with its high heel, punching him in the face hard. The punch caused his synthetic skin to disappear on his cheek, blue blood leaking from his nose. The next punch Connor deflected, but before he could push it off, the Traci tried stabbing Connor with a screwdriver. He pushes its hands away from him, the screwdriver coming dangerously close.

 

‘No… I cannot fail…!” Connor thought angrily, kicking the Traci off of him. Connor kept deflecting the Traci’s movements, making sure to dodge its screwdriver attacks until it abandoned the weapon altogether.

 

He quickly knocks over a cart to block its advancements, only for it to push the cart back, emitting a loud clank sound. The two struggle and fight for a little while more until they both fall face flat into the alleyway. Meanwhile, the blue-haired Traci slammed Hank against a metal pole, nearly knocking the man unconscious. The blue haired Traci ran to the ginger one, shaking the android,

 

“Come on, we’re almost free!” The blue Traci whispered to the other,

 

Connor glanced up at them, watching the two of them hold each other’s hands tightly. The deviant hunter glares in determination as he sprints up. Hank enters the scene while dropping his gun, and tries to pull them back, but only to get pushed against the building.

 

The gun skids far away into the pavement.

 

“QUICK, THEY’RE GETTING AWAY!” He yells at Connor to get his attention back on track.

 

‘They won’t get away.’ Connor thinks as he runs to the deviants trying to climb over the metal fence. He pulls them down quickly and fights against the two Tracis. He is almost overpowered by them until he sees Hank’s gun on the concrete. ‘No more hesitation! If I don’t shoot, we’ll never learn anything!’ Connor reasons in mind palace. No more hesitation. He won’t fail anymore. He is a machine. He will kill if necessary.

 

He picks up the gun.

 

He aims.

 

And pulls the trigger…

 

.

.

.

_CLICK._

_CLICK._

_CLICK._

.

.

.

 

 

“Shit,” Connor mutters, the gun unresponsive.

 

The weapon is jammed.

 

The ginger Traci kicks Connor to the ground and it stands next to the blue haired one. Connor stares up, still glaring hard at the two of them as if to say they won’t get away from this.

 

“When that man… Broke the other Traci, I knew I was next,” the Traci begins. Hank runs next to Connor and helps him up.

 

Hank looked livid, but not at the Tracis.

 

“I was so scared… I begged him to stop, but he _wouldn’t_. And so I put my hands around his throat, and squeezed… Until he stopped moving…” The blue haired Traci continues to explain.

 

Connor’s expression is blank, but internally his processor is running a million megabytes per second. He cannot help but feel _guilt_ , _guilt_ , and more **_guilt_**. He could have killed them. He was going to kill them. He shouldn’t feel anything, yet at this very moment, he feels everything.

 

“I didn’t mean to kill him! I just wanted to stay alive…! Get back to the one I love,” it… No…She says as she grabs her significant other’s hand, the ginger-haired Traci.

 

“I wanted her to hold me in her arms again… Make me forget about the _humans_. Their smell of sweat, and their dirty words…” She finishes and urges the ginger Traci to follow her. The two girls run over the metal fence and drop to the sidewalk on the other side, swiftly running off to god knows where.

 

“It’s probably better this way… But you wouldn’t know that would you?” Hank mumbles angrily, and walks off, losing a great amount of respect for his partner.

 

Connor’s indicator remained yellow and red for the duration of their time at the alleyway.

 

* * *

 

11:46 PM

Hank’s House

 

 

Cricket noises echoed outside the house, lulling the child sleeping in his room into a dreamless, yet comfortable sleep. Moonlight peeks through the denim curtains of his window, the beam of light dusting over Cole’s sleeping face. He looks peaceful, almost as if he could be floating on a cloud. The peace that fills his room comes to a close when a loud buzzing noise rings throughout the house, causing the boy to wake up sharply from his sleep. The boy rubbed the sleepiness away from his eyes and yawned loudly before slinging his one leg out of the bed. He glances at his prosthetic leaning against his nightstand and grabs it. He slips it on his stubby left thigh until it made a resounding clicking noise. When he felt his nerves connect to the plastic leg, he shook it lightly to get a feel for it.

 

Soon enough, he got out of his bed and walked sleepily to the front of the door. It’s probably his dad coming home late and he forgot his keys to the house again. This isn’t the first time it’s happened, so he’s used to it by now. Cole yawns again before opening the door,

 

“Look, dad, you need to stop forgetting your keys. We already talked abou-,”

 

The boy looked up to find, not his father, but someone completely different.

 

Cole needed to rub his eyes again to make sure he’s not losing his mind. It’s the android from earlier.

 

At his house.

 

Forcing the most awkward smile ever.

 

“Um… Hi! I’m the android from the Urban Farms Apartment?” The bot explains awkwardly, standing amidst the snowy pavement. In short, he looks like a mess. He smells like bird poop, his jacket’s torn from the side, and the android looks optimistic but scared as all hell. Cole’s reaction is a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

 

“Wait a minute, hold on a sec, I am way too sleepy for this,” Cole said before closing the door at his face in an almost rude way. He slid down the front door and took a moment to process what was happening.

 

‘Okay, so the android I tried hiding earlier is now at my front door for god knows what reason, and I have to deal with that, **_parentless_** , and I’m pretty sure this has never happened to me before. What do I do?’ Cole ponders, anxiety blooming in his chest. Cole thought about it for a few more minutes and sighs. ‘Welp, I had a good run,’ Cole thought exaggeratingly and gulped loudly before opening the door again to face the weird android.

 

“You are so lucky my dad isn’t home right now,” Cole says with a grimace stepping aside so the android can come in. The android stands there though, unmoving but expectant.

 

“Well? Are you coming in or not?” Cole asks curiously. The android’s eyes light up in realization and he makes an O shape with his mouth before going inside. Cole rolls his eyes before also going inside.

 

Sumo wakes up from his slumber and goes over to the android to sniff him. The large dog’s presence startles the android but Cole has it under control, “Down Sumo!” Cole commands firmly, and the dog listens to him with a goofy grin. The boy sits on the couch sleepily, and yawns again, eyes baggy from being woken up. “So… Do you have a name?” the child asks, not knowing what to call him.

 

“R-Rupert. Rupert Travis.” He answers as he sits on the couch as well. Cole’s eyes pierce through the androids as if waiting for the bot to explain himself for why he was in his house. Rupert got unwelcoming vibes off the child and decided maybe he should go.

 

“I apologize if I have woken you. I understand if you want me to leave,” the weird android insists.

 

“I shouldn’t have ever let you inside the house. You pushed my dad off a ledge for god’s sake! Seriously, not cool dude.” Cole mutters disdainfully, causing the android next to him to flush in shame.

 

“I’m sorry for that, I was afraid I would get caught. After what happened before, I… I have lost my ability to function properly in stressful situations.” The bot explains, shifting uncomfortably in his spot on the couch. Cole rubs his eyes again, for they were getting itchy from the sleepiness he feels. Cole stares blankly at the wall in front of him and rubs his neck.

 

“I forgive you. I know you aren’t a bad person you were just scared. I probably would have done the same if I were in your shoes. What I don’t understand is how you found me in the first place.” The boy wonders, looking at the android’s scared eyes.

 

“Well, it wasn’t easy that’s for sure. I spent all day trying to find you, but I ended up recognizing your footprints. I suppose that’s how.”

 

Cole doesn’t buy it, and raises an eyebrow, “Why were you looking for me anyway? Shouldn’t you be in hiding?” he asks, a hint of concern in his voice. He didn’t want the android to die after all. Rupert looks at the child, then out the window.

 

“What you did for me today… I cannot even begin to tell you how much that means to me. I wanted to thank you in person before I leave for good.” Rupert replies cryptically. Cole’s eyes shine in pride and elatedness when he heard that. No one has thanked him for something like that before. No one ever saw him as a hero of all things. This deviant went out of his way to come over to thank him for trying to hide him, despite getting caught?

“But… You were found anyways. I didn’t do much at all. Connor saw right through me, I should have done more.” Cole mumbles sadly, feeling awful he couldn’t help hide the android successfully.

 

Rupert smiled softly in response to Cole’s humbleness, knowing deep down the kid shouldn’t feel insecure. “You have done more for me, then all the humans I ever met have done. I just wanted to let you know, that I trust you. I can tell you want to help my people. That said,” Rupert digs into his pocket and clasps a small item in his hands, “I wanted to give you something, as a token of my gratitude.” He says in a lighthearted tone. If the child’s eyes were wide before, they were flying saucers now, and he beamed. “Wow really? What did you get me?” Cole says giddily like Christmas had come early. Rupert chuckles softly before showing the child his gift. It’s a miniature toy car, streaked in red and greens. It’s the most beautiful thing Cole has ever seen, and he wants to cry out of joy.

 

“Rupert, I barely know you, and you’re already the second coolest android I ever met! Thanks, dude!” Cole laughs before hugging the android, much to Rupert’s surprise. Rupert didn’t hug back, but he let the child hug him, smiling the whole way through. When Cole finally let go, Cole’s happy expression turned sad when he realized Rupert would be in danger now. “Where will you go now? The police will hunt you down all over the city, you won’t be safe anywhere.” He informs sadly, staring down on the carpeted floor. Rupert put his hand on the child’s shoulder as if to reassure him, “There is one place I can be safe, but I cannot tell you where it is. I’m sorry, but it’s too dangerous for you, just know I will be okay now, thanks to your efforts.” The kind android reassures. Cole smiles at him, glad to have helped, even if it didn’t go exactly as planned.

 

Rupert left out the door after that, waving at the child before running into the night. Cole waves back, feeling a little better about himself and his efforts. Maybe he really is doing the right thing. Hopefully, he can get Connor to understand one day. Deep down, Cole knows his father would be proud of him for what’s right.

 

* * *

 

November 7th, 2038

1:19 AM

Riverside Park

 

Hank sat on the lonely bench, left alone to his thoughts. The snow had died down a little, creating a serene view of the bridge across the park. He downs a bottle of beer like it’s water, reminiscing of easier… No… Better times. It’s been three years, zero months, and twenty-seven days since Heather’s death. It eats away at him so much, memories of her smile and laughter plaguing his thoughts. Hank is too tired to cry (he’s cried so many times the first year, he’s lost count), so he stays angry at the world instead. The world was kind enough to spare his son, but Hank couldn’t help but feel he’s not equipped to raise him either. He’s too much of a mess, and his son deserves the world. He remembers the first time he met Heather. She was the spunkiest, most hyperactive gal he’d ever met. They met in high school; they were in the same class of 2003, which feels like a million years ago.

 

Hank remembers a fond memory of his wife, where he first saw her for the first time.

 

* * *

 

_August 2002_

_Hank was never much for conversation. He was perfectly fine in his own little clique, smoking cigs with his pals behind the school building and jamming with his friends at the local club. Hank’s life was pretty chill for the most part. However, his life was about to change forever on a fateful autumn afternoon. Hank leaned against his locker, talking to his bud Gary when he absentmindedly looks away from him. Before he knew it, Hank was staring at what to him was the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen. She’s wearing a stylish yellow sweater, and a knee length skirt, along with some black tights. Her eyes were as blue as the ocean, and he felt like he could get lost in them._

_“Hank. Hank!” Gary yells, trying to get his friend’s attention. Hank snaps out of his trance and shakes his head, “Yeah Gary, what’s up?” Hank says, trying to play it off casually._

_“Dude, you were totally staring at the new girl.” Gary accuses, giving a condescendingly teasing look._

_“What? No way! Gary, you must be seein’ things. She’s not even my type!” Hank says defensively._

_“Anderson, I get it! Even I admit Heather Lynn is some real eye candy. You should talk to her, woo her or some shit.” Gary advises._

_“Fuck no! She’s way outta’ my league, she won’t go for some bozo like me.” Hank rationalizes. A girl like that is probably already dating someone anyhow. Gary shrugs, “I dunno man, but if I were you, I’d give it a shot anyways. Ya never know.” He says before leaving Anderson to his own devices. Hank looks at the girl as she walks past him, and his heart flutters. Maybe he’d take up Gary’s advice. The worse she could do was dropkick him for daring to ask a goddess like her on a date._

* * *

 

Hank’s thoughts were interrupted when Connor got out of the car, only to check on the grouchy Lieutenant. The Lieutenant acknowledges the android’s presence by sparking a conversation.

 

“Nice view huh?” Hank starts, trying to break the silence. Connor doesn’t respond, so Hank decides to continue, “I used to come here a lot before…”

 

‘Before Heather died,’ Hank finishes mentally before taking another swig from his beer bottle.

 

Connor crosses his arms, “can I ask you a personal question, Lieutenant?” he asks for the man’s permission.

 

Hank chuckles before looking at Connor like he’s insane, “do all androids as so many personal questions, or is it just you?” Hank wonders out loud.

 

There’s a long pause from the android as if he’s wondering whether he should ask his question or not. It’s not long until his decision becomes clear,

 

“I saw a photo of you and a woman during your wedding day. It was on your kitchen table.” Connor begins,

 

Hank glares at nothing, feeling a dark pit in his stomach. The question’s already looking to be far too personal. “It was your wife, right?” Connor probes, awaiting the older man’s answer.

 

Hank sighs, not having the energy to not give him an answer, “Yeah… Her name was Heather.” He answers, his voice wavering when he mentions her name.

 

“Before what?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“You said, ‘I used to come here a lot before’. Before what?” Connor asks,

 

“Before… Before nothin…’” Hank grumbles, taking his third swig of the beer thus far.

 

Connor walks in front of the man, his attempt to get the Lieutenant’s attention. They need to refocus on the case, and the android is going to make sure they do just that,

 

“We’re not making any progress on this investigation… The deviants have nothing in common. They’re all different models, produced at different times, different places…”

 

“Well, there must be some link,” Hank interjects. The Lieutenant’s right. There had to be a link…

 

That’s when it hits Connor. rA9.

 

“What they have in common is this obsession with rA9… It’s almost like some kind of… myth. Something they invented that wasn’t a part of their original programming.” Connor analyzes, waiting for his superior’s response.

 

“Androids believing in God… Fuck, what’s this world coming to?” Hank sighs, taking yet another drink from his beer bottle.

 

The android looks back at Anderson, “You seem preoccupied, Lieutenant. Is it something to do with what happened at the Eden Club?” He questions.

 

Hank’s expression turns remorseful, “Those two girls… They just wanted to be together. They really seemed in love. I may be a dying old man, but… I know love when I see it.” Hank says sincerely, his statement couldn’t be truer. He saw himself and Heather in those two girls. He hopes they are happy, wherever they end up in this dreadful city.

 

“You seem troubled Lieutenant. I didn’t think machines could have such an effect on you,” Connor says ironically.

 

“What about you Connor?” Hank quips before getting up from the park bench. “You look human, you sound human, but what are you really?” The man interrogates, genuinely curious to know what the hell goes on that piece of plastic’s head.

 

“I’m whatever you want me to be Lieutenant,” Connor replies before truly thinking it through.

 

Hank’s eyes soften at that.

 

“Your partner… Your buddy to drink with… Or just a machine, designed to accomplish a task.”

 

Hank’s fists ball up in anger, “My son looks up to you, ya know? He’s my whole world Connor, do you understand that?” Hank mumbles, but the anger is crystal clear from his voice.

 

“Of course I do Lieutenant…” Connor replies, a hint of sincerity in his cold voice.

 

“How do ya think he would feel if you had killed those two girls, hm? I knew the gun was jammed Connor, you were going to kill them! Do you know how fucked up it would have been if you shot them?! How could I explain to my only son that the person he looks up to the most is a cold heartless machine?!” Hank pushes Connor to make a point, but the android keeps his face as straight as possible.

 

“Lieutenant, I was just following protocol. Any other policeman would have done the same.” Connor answers coldly, causing Hank to get even more riled up in anger.

 

Losing his last grip of control, Hank draws his gun at Connor,

 

“But are you afraid to die Connor?” Hank asks coolly, his eyes trained at the android’s.

 

“I would certainly find it regrettable to be… interrupted, before I could finish this investigation.” Connor replies with a hint of fear. His software continued to blare error messages, causing him to feel almost nauseous. Can androids feel nauseous?

 

“What would happen if I pull this trigger, hm? Nothing? Oblivion? Android heaven?” Hank lists the possible afterlives for the android, hoping to rouse a reaction.

 

Unexpectedly, Connor glares at Hank before walking forward to Hank’s gun, “You know you’re not going to shoot me, Lieutenant. You are just trying to provoke a reaction. I’m afraid I’m going to have to disappoint you.” Connor defies, refusing to be disrespected any longer.

 

“You think you’re so fucking smart. Always one-step ahead, huh? Tell me this smartass… How do I know you’re not a deviant?” Hank contends, his grip on the gun shaking.

 

“I self-test regularly. I know what I am, and what I am not.” Connor answers finally, causing Hank to give up. Hank sheathes the gun and angrily walks over to his car. Confused, Connor calls out to him, “Where are you going?”

 

“To get drunker! I need to think…” Hank answers, drinking more beer. He’s going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning.

Connor stands in the snow, thinking a lot about what Hank said. Would Cole have cared so much if he shot them? The android finds himself at a loss for what to do.

 

He will need to consult with Amanda soon… She’ll know what to do. At least, he hopes she does.

 

Otherwise, he’s a doomed model.


	8. Day In The Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank gets a much needed day off, so he decides to spend it with his son. He may be a lousy alcoholic, but Hank will be damned if he can't give his son the weekend fun he promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I told you guys I would make up for the lack of updates, and I meant it! This chapter is pure filler, but it's what I like to call, "necessary filler", so I hope you guys enjoy it regardless! This chapter was beta'ed by my good friend NaomiPT, here on this website and on the DPD discord, and she was such a big help with making sure the chapter flowed nicely! I highly encourage you guys to check out her DBH fanfic, she's an amazing writer as well! I put the link to her profile. :)
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaomiPT/pseuds/NaomiPT
> 
> Alright, everyone, I gotta start drafting Chapter 9, so you guys sit back, relax and enjoy the chapter! <3

November 7th, 2038

9:02 AM

Hank’s House

 

Cole didn’t sleep at all the previous night. When Rupert went out of his way to risk his safety just to thank a nine-year-old kid for being nice to him, the boy didn’t dare go back to bed for fear it was all just one very strange dream. The boy in question lies on his bed with his baggy eyes wide open, fiddling with the miniature toy car in his hand. Its metallic paint glistens in the sunlight, streaks of red and green adorn the car’s design and structure. Where in the world did Rupert get a toy car, Cole would wonder aimlessly?

 

The boy’s father had returned at around 2:30 AM, and to the child’s unsurprise, he was passed out drunk. Connor had to drive him home because his alcohol levels were ‘unfavorably high’ as the android would put it.

 

* * *

 

_6 Hours Ago_

_“Let me guess. He’s drunk?” Cole asked with a blank face, though he already knew the answer. The android pulled the old man inside the house by his forearm, despite the unconscious man’s groans and moans. Connor looks at the child and gives him what looks like is supposed to be a smile, but only ends up looking like a grimace, “Your father is still hung-over from earlier this afternoon. After we came back from the crime scene, he was too tired to do much of anything else,” the android explains in what Cole thinks is the fakest light-hearted tone he’s ever heard. Cole stifles a laugh at Connor’s lousy attempt of a smile,_

_“Dude, you have the creepiest fake smile ever!” he laughs, causing the android to tilt his head in confusion, and awkwardness. Connor’s fake smile falters into a frown before helping Hank steady himself so he wouldn’t trip over thin air. The boy looks at his father and notices the alcohol stains on the shirt he changed into before he left. With his suspicions confirmed, the child’s expression turns solemn._

_“Connor, you don’t have to lie to me. I may be a kid, but I’m not blind. Just dump him in the couch, I’ll make sure he gets aspirin and some water.” Cole explains, but his tone is not angry. It’s only sad and concerned, mimicking what he felt like at that very moment._

_“Of course, Cole.” Connor obliges, carefully placing the man on the living room sofa. Sumo woke up from all the noise and went over to nudge his master’s hand. Sumo whines when the boy’s father doesn’t wake up to give him well-deserved pets._

_“Aww boy, it’s okay. Dad will be back to normal in no time!” Cole reassures the dog in an optimistically soft tone, scratching the dog behind the ears to calm him down. Sumo leans into Cole’s touch and hangs his tongue out lazily. After giving the large St. Bernard a whole lot of love, the boy is reminded of Connor’s presence. He looks up at Connor, only to find him staring at him as if awaiting another command._

_“Thanks for everything Connor. It means a lot to have my dad safe at home,” Cole said in a grateful tone. Connor takes a moment to note the boy’s genuine gratitude before offering a genuine smile in return, “I’m glad I could help. If I may be honest, your father’s alcoholic tendencies worry me. I am glad he has a responsible child like you to take care of him,” Connor compliments, but the kid didn’t expect that kind of response. Cole rubs his neck sheepishly, a toothy grin on his face, “I just do what I can, it’s no big deal,” he said humbly before going to the kitchen to get some water and aspirin for his dad. Cole quickly came back to his father’s side, and lays the glass of water and pills on a napkin on the nearby coffee table,_

_“When he wakes up in the morning, he’ll find the pills and water there. I just like to have it ready since aspirin works better during the day,” Cole explains to no one in particular, but it felt nice to have someone there to listen to him ramble. Loneliness can do that to a person. Make someone desperate for conversation of any kind. For the longest time, it had only ever been just Hank and Cole, so he takes his dad’s health very seriously. The only problem was, Hank couldn’t care less about his own health, and that hurt the little boy more than any bruise and punch he could receive from the bullies at school._

_“How long have you been doing this?” The android asked in a curious tone. He’s amazed that a child his age could take the initiative to care for his father instead of what was supposed to be the other way around._

_“Three years,” Cole blurts out without meaning to and doesn’t say anything else after that. He doesn’t want to remember his mother. Connor looked like he wanted to continue pressing for more information, but in the end, he decided against it, merely walking towards the front door to take his leave._

_“I suppose I will go now. As far as I know, there are no cases tomorrow, so I will return to the DPD to allocate my findings for yesterday’s case. It…” Connor pauses for a moment, causing the young boy to look at him._

_“It was nice to see you again, Cole,” Connor admitted, a small smile crossed his features. It looked genuine._

_“You know what Connor? You too. Thanks for putting up with my dad. I know he can be a handful. Take care.” Cole waved, a shy smile on his face. He’s not used to being praised or liked by other people, so it felt nice to have two people in one night come over to compliment him. Connor waves back, albeit robotically, and leaves the house. From the window across the couch, the child could see the lone android enter the taxi before it drove away._

* * *

 

‘Man, Connor’s the best. He really seemed to care about my dad last night… But…’

 

Cole stares at the ceiling above his bed, looking at the glow stars that stuck to it. He remembers Connor’s sullen face before he entered the driverless Taxi.

 

‘He looked sad.’

 

Sighing, the boy wonders what happened in his father’s case that made Connor’s mood so depressed. Connor didn’t kill anyone… Did he?

 

“Hey, son; thanks for the aspirin and water last night. I got a monster headache!” Hank yawned after opening Cole’s bedroom door, causing the young boy to yelp in surprise before hastily hiding his toy car under the pillow. Cole doesn’t need his dad to know he has a brand new toy all of a sudden.

“It-It’s no problem dad! Do you have any work today?” Cole asks while rubbing the tiredness from his eyes. Hank leans against the doorframe, a pensive look crossing his features. As far as he knows, no, he doesn’t have work today. Captain Fowler hasn’t received any reports on deviant activity, and Connor is going to be holed up in the station all day since he needs to report his findings to CyberLife.

 

Hank smiles. He could spend the day with his son. It’s been a long time since they did anything fun together, and maybe it would get his mind off the tantalizing booze sitting on the refrigerator door.

 

“Hey Cole,” Hank starts, immediately catching the boy’s attention.

 

“Dad?” Cole regards, patiently waiting for what his dad needs to tell him.

 

“Do you wanna go to the park today? I know it’s been a while, but I thought we could build a snowman?” Hank grins mischievously, and Cole freezes in mock horror.

 

“Dad, I swear if you start singing that song,”

 

“Do you wanna build a snowman~?”

 

“DAD!” Cole laughs before covering his ears to block out his father’s horrible rendition of Frozen’s “Do You Wanna Build A Snowman?”

 

Hank just laughs heartily, sparing his son from listening to the whole song. “Come on Cole, waddaya say?” he says giddily.

 

“My snowman will obliterate yours!” Cole challenges with a smirk before slipping on his prosthetic so he could change out of his pajamas. Hank chuckles and leaves the room, so he could go change as well.

 

Hank’s going to make today great.

 

For his son’s sake.

 

* * *

 

 10:37 AM

Riverside Park

 

 

Snow dances in the wind, blanketing the concrete floor as the children at the park play on the various attractions the park had to offer. Parents would be ushering their kids to stay safe and avoid strangers, while android caretakers cooed and sang to their owner’s babies on the bench. Cole’s eyes brighten at the sight. It’s been so long since his father took him to his favorite park, and the best part? Sumo is there too. Hank had decided it be best to walk here since it’s not too far from his house, (and also because the weather isn’t very favorable for driving). Cole didn’t mind though, so long as they could have fun in the park like they used to.

 

“Alright, it’s snowman time!” Cole declares comically before running around to find materials.

Cole doesn’t waste any time and gathers a few sticks, rocks and any leaves he could find. Hank decides to help his son too, going over to a tree to collect loose branches, while Cole was already gathering snow for his snowman.

 

“Dad, can you help me with the shaping of the snowman?” The child asks as he collects a patch of wet snow that could be moldable.

 

“Sure son!” Hank replies. The man helps his son roll a big enough mound of snow that can be used for the snowman’s main body, and after doing that, Cole creates a slightly smaller mound that is used as the head.

 

After the main body is built, the two start decorating the thing. Cole uses the rocks he finds as the buttons, and Hank uses his own rocks as the eyes. For the smile, the two agreed they would use a piece of plastic wire they found on the ground. The leaves were then used as the hair.

 

Once the snowman’s built, the two examine their handy work. It looks… okay. It’s not a perfect snowman, but it’s a start. “Dad, did you bring a carrot?” The boy questions expectantly.

 

“Come on son, what do you take me for?” Hank jeers before pulling out a carrot he brought especially for the occasion.

 

“Who will do the honors?”

 

“Uh… I don’t know,”

 

“Dad, why don’t you do it? I did it last time!”

 

“Okay, okay,” Hank relents. The grizzled detective sticks the carrot on the snowman’s face.

 

“Perfect,” the two say simultaneously, pleased with the final product of their labors. Hank doesn’t hesitate to get his phone out so he can take pictures of the snowman with his son.

 

Sumo barks enthusiastically, wagging his tail like a puppy, and jumping into the snowman, spraying the white powder all over his brother and dad, effectively destroying all their hard work.

“Haha! Sumo you silly doggy!” Cole laughs, running after the dog to play with him as well. Hank has a large smile on his face as he watches his two children play amongst the snowy environment, finding a nearby bench so he could watch the two. Despite the fact there are other people around, the park is sparsely populated, with only about three small families present and a couple of androids. It’s mostly quiet because it’s a Sunday morning.

 

The older man watches his son play for about a half an hour; watching him play on the swings and slides of the park, but he also notices how Cole does pretty well on the monkey bars too. Hank remembers when he was young, and how much he used to suck at the monkey bars. His hands would get too sweaty, and he’d fall face flat on the chiseled floor. Those were innocent times before he became the mess of a man he is today.

 

“Hey dad, can we play on the seesaw? Please?” Cole begs playfully as he runs up to his dad with Sumo by his side. The man chuckles and rubs his son messy hair, “Sure son, but fair warning, I may just accidentally fling you to the moon!” Hank jokes.

 

“Dad, you can’t literally fling me to the moon,” Cole teases,

 

“Oh yeah? Just you wait, you little slugger!” Hank smirks, running to the nearest seesaw. Cole gets on one end of the seesaw while Hank gets on the other, and then the two start riding the contraption in a carefree manner, Cole laughing with his father.

 

Hank doesn’t remember feeling this happy in a long time.

 

Sumo watches from the bench, nodding his head as he watches the two go up and down the seesaw.

 

Before the two know it, a full hour has passed, and it’s almost midday. Hank and Cole are currently with Sumo playing fetch with a tennis ball.

 

Not a moment later, a driverless taxi pulls over near the park entrance.

 

“We have reached your destination. Thank you for using Detroit taxis…” the automated voice message plays once again as Connor steps out of the vehicle. He adjusts his tie and scouts his surroundings. The android was informed by Officer Miller that Hank took the day off today, so he thought it may be best to reconcile with the man before they went back to work tomorrow.

 

Connor insists it’s for the sake of his mission.

 

The android walks on the snowy pavement, completely unbothered by the cold as his temperature sensors are turned off. He stops walking when he catches sight of the Lieutenant with his son and dog.

 

“Come on Sumo, you got this!” Cole cheers as Sumo runs to catch the ball he just threw. Sumo barks as he runs to the ball, and successfully catches it, running to the two enthusiastically ready to receive love and affection.

 

“Good boy, Sumo!” Hank laughs as he rubs the beast’s belly, along with Cole.

 

Connor can’t help but smile at them. This is the first time Connor has seen Hank be a real father to his child.

It’s… Nice. Whether it’s wrong to feel this way or not, the android felt a twinge of envy and longing, but he doesn’t know why. Maybe it’s because androids like him aren’t meant to have familial relationships or have any lasting friends at all. His model is designed to hunt deviants. Nothing more, nothing less. However, Connor concludes that having a family must be nice too. After all, why would he be feeling an immense longing for one even if he isn’t meant to long for things in the first place?

 

Hank’s laughter dies down when he notices Connor a few feet away from him and frowns. ‘Fucking hell,’ Hank curses mentally as he stares at the android,

 

“Good afternoon, Lieutenant. Officer Miller told me that you would be having your day off today. I wasn’t sure if you would be at your home, so I checked Jimmy’s Bar, but when I couldn’t find you there, I thought it would be best if I searched for you here.” Connor explains in his analytical tone, receiving stares from a curious mother with her baby. Hank wants to die right then and there out of second-hand embarrassment. How long was this crazy fucker looking for him, he wonders to himself?

“Connor!” Cole cheers as he runs up to him, despite his father reaching out to stop him. Connor smiles at Cole, and it’s not a forced smile either, “Hello Cole, how was your day?”

 

“It’s been awesome so far! Dad took me and Sumo here, and we’ve all been having a great time, we even built a snowman, but Sumo destroyed it. It was still fun though!” The boy explains enthusiastically while Sumo comes up to Connor to receive pets. Connor obliges, and pets the sweet dog, causing him to lean into his touch. Hank watches the exchange, and he’s conflicted. Why is Connor here? Shouldn’t he be working?

 

“Hey, Cole, why don’t you play on the swings while the adults talk here for a minute, hm?” Hank asks as he pats his son’s shoulder.

 

“Yes dad, but Connor’s technically not an adult,” Cole complains before sulking to the swings. Hank shakes his head before turning to the android next to him, “Alright, care to tell me why the fuck you’re interrupting my day off?” Hank probes rudely, not at all in the mood to deal with the bot.

 

Connor looks ashamed, knowing it’s true that he didn’t have to come, “I wanted to see you, Lieutenant. You and your son. I was worried about you after last night, and I felt the need to make sure you two were alright.” Connor reveals, absentmindedly taking his signature coin out, flipping it up and down.

 

Hank sighs, resisting the urge to punch the hunk of plastic right then and there. “Fuck…Look, Connor, you don’t need to baby us. I may be an alcoholic, but I’m not a terrible father. I’m not a perfect one either, but my son comes first no matter what. It’s been forever since I’ve hung out with Cole as a family, and with the amount of work I have, I see him less and less every day. You would understand if you were a father.” Hank grumbles, knowing for a fact the android couldn’t possibly comprehend what he felt.

 

“I do understand, Lieutenant. If my presence bothers you, I can take my leave then,” Connor offers, not wanting to come off as a hindrance.

 

“Nah, it’d be too much of a hassle. Cole and I are about to leave anyway,”

“Oh.” He wasn’t expecting that type of answer. The Hank he knew would have told him to leave the second he laid eyes on him. Connor resists the urge to smile.

 

A few more minutes pass, and Cole gets tired of playing on the swings. He runs back to his dad with Sumo, his prosthetic aching from all the physical exertion he did today.

 

“Ready to go home?” Hank wonders out loud, noticing his son looks beat.

 

“Yeah, but first I wanna ask Connor something! It’ll be real quick,” Cole explains, hoping his dad wouldn’t mind. Hank scratches his head tiredly, “Okay, but be quick. Connor has a lot of work to do.” Hank allows. Cole grins before turning to Connor, “I never asked, but can you show me your coin trick thingy? It looks so cool, and I wanna try it!” The child pleads with puppy dog eyes.

 

Connor is delighted to know that the child wants to learn such a neat trick, “Sure,” Connor says.

 

He takes out his quarter and hands it to Cole’s ungloved hand. Connor explains the essentials of doing the coin trick, how using your fingers will help move the coin around. Hank watches the two and grins too. It’s nice to see Connor being nice to the child since Cole doesn’t have any friends of his own. Its too bad Connor was built for police work; he’d be a great babysitter. Connor helps Cole with the technique, and Cole actually manages to do the trick a little successfully.

 

“You did well, with more practice you can master the skill exceptionally.” Connor commends.

 

“I don’t have your dexterity, but thanks for the compliment.” Cole laughs, handing the coin back to Connor.

 

“Alright, alright, it’s time to head on home, it’s almost evening.” Hank chides, grabbing the attention of the two. Cole deflated at the notion of leaving, but it is getting late…

 

“Okay dad,” Cole says sadly. Connor deflates as well but smiles at Cole as if to let him know that he had a nice time too. Hank grabs his son’s hand and Sumo starts running towards them.

 

The three walk back home, leaving Connor to wonder if he could ever have a family one day.

 

** SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^^^ **

 


	9. Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole is in school when he hears the news. The news that will change everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, guys, I can't believe I managed to finish this on time... I was worried as crap that I wouldn't be able to get it out, but I did! Before you guys read, I need to tell you that I will not be posting at all this week. I will be going on a trip to Mexico for the whole week, so the next chapter WILL be delayed. I'm sorry, but I promise I will post as soon as I can once I'm back. I will admit, I rushed a little bit to get this chapter out before my trip, but I think I managed to write something good enough to post. Regretfully, there was no time to beta the chapter, so as they say, we die like men. xD 
> 
> Please enjoy the chapter, and I will see all of you next week!

November 8th, 2038

1:20 PM

Davison Elementary School

 

Monday. If there were a day in the week that Cole despises more than anything, it’d be _Mondays_. The boy sighs as he stares at Mrs. Lopez as she lectures about the most influential people in modern times. Half the class is already asleep due to boredom, and those who were actually engaged in the material sit in the front of the class, where he sat. Despite the fact the child’s eyelids feel like heavy rocks, Cole is doing a pretty good job paying attention in class. English is his second best subject, only after Science, so he could probably get away with dozing off if he wants to. He scoffs to himself, mentally scolding himself for even suggesting such a thing. He cannot afford to fail any class. He’s already beginning to get better grades in mathematics, so he can’t risk getting better at one subject, and then promptly failing the next.

 

Luckily, so far today has become one of his better days. No bullies at all, not even during lunch. However, it’s not unusual for him to successfully avoid the sixth graders. After all, they go to the other side of the school, so there can be days he doesn’t see them at all. Despite that, those in his grade still avoid him. Cole thinks it’s because they didn’t want to be associated with someone who is different; the outcast.

 

“-this week, all of you will be working on a project that needs to be complete by the time you come back from Thanksgiving Break. The objective is to write about a pioneer of the modern world we live in today, and before you say anything, no, you cannot write about Elijah Kamski,”

 

There’s a collective ‘aww’ in the classroom, and the children begin talking amongst themselves,

 

“Why not? He’s the most influential guy in the world!” Michael Shannon complains from the back. Clearly, he had been hoping for an easy A in this project.

 

“Because Kamski’s literally everywhere, you dumbass! You’d have to be living under a rock at the bottom of the Mariana Trench to not know who Elijah Kamski is!” Sarah Klein retorts in a smug tone, trying to sound smart even though she is one of the most airheaded girls in class.

 

“No one asked you, Sarah! Besides it’s totally unfair that not _one_ person can write about him.” Michael expresses, with the collective agreement from his friends.

 

“Alright, alright, that’s enough class! I already knew I would get this kind of reaction. Which is why none of you will be picking your topics! I already assigned each of you who you guys will be writing about.” Mrs. Lopez says in a singsong tone. Cole didn’t mind before, but now he groans along with the rest of the class. The boy likes to have control over who he gets to write about, so to have that taken away from him is a huge slap to the face. Cole goes on a mental tangent, thinking about all the possible people he could get.

 

“This project will count for twenty-five percent of you’re daily average, so take great care in doing your research. Outside of class, there’s a list of all of your names aligned with you’re going to write about. Remember, your essays need to be two to three pages long, double-spaced MLA format.” Mrs. Lopez reminds, pointing outside the classroom door.

 

“Everyone, please step outside to see who your topics are about, then write it down, take a picture if you must, so you won’t forget,” The teacher added before the students noisily got out of their seats and headed outside the class to view the bulletin board. The students began talking amongst themselves again in loud tones, but Cole remains silent since he has no one to talk to. The boy struggles to get in front of the crowd to see who he has, and he can hear some idle conversations pass as he fights his way to the front of the board.

 

“I got Carl Manfred!” Sarah exclaims, seemingly satisfied with her pick.

 

“Uhhh I got Warren,” Another student with big glasses says,

 

“Shit! I got Reece.” Micheal sighs, not at all satisfied with his pick.

 

The chatter continues on when Cole finally makes it to the front of the crowd and looks for his name on the very top of the list. The boy raises his eyebrow in curiosity when he finally sees whom he got.

 

“Dude, you got Amanda Stern! Lucky!” A girl with big, brown curly hair exclaims from behind him, startling the young boy. Cole’s heart freezes when he sees who it is.

 

_Oh no oh no oh no oh no-_

It’s Tamara Wilson. His crush since third grade.

 

Cole all but stutters and suppresses an unbearably hard to resist blush from forming. Why was she talking to him? The only other time she has ever regarded him in person this school year was when she complimented his Zelda T-shirt during lunch. Okay there was also that time she helped him up when some bullies pushed him around. Annnd that time when- okay let’s face it, he’s talked to her more times then he’d like to admit!

 

Cole takes a steady breath. The boy decides it’s probably best to play it cool for now; she probably just wanted to talk to anyone in the nearby vicinity. Thankfully, the boy is really good at hiding his feelings.

 

“Y-yeah! I guess I am, but why..?” The boy asks, not really knowing much about Amanda Stern. Tamara kicks her feet absentmindedly and thinks for a moment. “Well, for one, she’s super awesome! She taught Elijah Kamski everything she knew about science and stuff and pioneered the future of AI technology. It’s sad she didn’t even get to live to fifty.” The girl sighs melodramatically, but it’s clear from her tone she views this woman as an inspiration.

 

“Ohh I remember now, I think she was brought up in science class last week. I’m sorry I got her, and not you.” Cole apologizes awkwardly, rubbing his neck out of nervousness.

 

“Why are you sorry? It’s not your fault! Besides, I got Jason Graff, and I guess he’s cool too, so I don’t mind.” The girl shrugs and Cole notices how she’s looking around like her attention is everywhere but the current conversation she’s having.

 

Cole got lost in thought as he tries to remember what he learned about Amanda Stern. Apparently, she was super smart, obviously, but she also helped jumpstart the AI revolution in the early to late 2020s. However, the one thing he knew she was known for was her mysterious death. To this day, no one knows how she died. One day, she was found in her lab completely unresponsive. Her vital organs were fine, and she was not old enough to pass from old age. Cole wasn’t alive at the time of her death, but he does know it was and still is a big deal, because mysteriously after she died, Elijah Kamski left CyberLife. If that’s not creepy, Cole doesn’t know what is.

 

“Why did she die?” Cole asks no one in particular, but it seems like Tamara is still listening.

 

The two walk back to class when they see the other students do so, “No one’s sure. I personally think there’s a huge conspiracy with her death. It’s too bad there’s not a lot of evidence to find out for sure,” Tamara replies, sighing. The two walk back inside the class, and they go back to their seats. The bushy haired girl sits next to Sarah and notices her friend roll her eyes.

 

“Tammy, why are you talking to that freak?” Sarah scoffs, disgusted that her ‘friend’ would associate herself with that boy. Tamara frowns and looks down, “He’s not bad, Sarah. He’s really nice, why do you have to be so mean?” the girl mutters, disapproving her friend’s opinion of the boy.

 

“Whatever, just don’t let me catch you talking to him again,” The snobby girl warns as the teacher begins lecturing again. Tamara glares straight at her desk. She decides she really needs new friends.

 

“Alright students class is almost over, so before we go, I want to remind you of all the things we will be covering this week…” Lopez explains.

 

Right before she’s about to explain those things, she’s interrupted by a loud bang from the door being slammed open, and in comes an android looking very disheveled. It’s Ava, model number PJ400, designed for tutoring and training purposes in all educational aspects. Ava is one of the few androids that assist with tutoring here at Davison Elementary, but Ava looks conflicted and… _scared_.

 

Mrs. Lopez is concerned, “Ava, what seems to be the matter?” The teacher says, never seeing the android so stressed before.

 

“The TV. Channel two. Something very important is happening and I was ordered to inform as many people as I can!” Ava says urgently, and if she could be sweating, she would.

 

Mrs. Lopez doesn’t waste any time and turns on the slightly outdated television. The class is already in an uproar, not entirely sure why there’s a huge commotion.

 

When the TV finally gets to channel two, the sight is shocking.

 

“We demand strictly equal rights for humans and androids. We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our rights. Together, we can live in peace and build a better future for humans and androids… This message is the hope of a people. You gave us life, and now the time has come to give us freedom.” The android in the television screen’s speech was already halfway done when Mrs. Lopez turned on the television, but the message is still clear to everyone.

 

“Oh my god…” Cole whispers, fear, and bewilderment in his eyes.

 

The class began to panic, loud talking and shouts of terror filled the room. “We’re all gonna die!” Michael screams, gripping his head with his hands.

 

“I knew it, I knew it! Humans have been predicting this for YEARS.”

 

“Shit, does this mean we get to go home?!”

 

“My android’s like my family, I don’t want him to kill me in my sleep goddamnit!”

 

Conversations like that and more surface in class until a loud announcement rings from the telecom, “Attention students, due to unprecedented events about the deviant revolution and speech, the school board has made the conscious decision for all students to be released early today. Please report to the cafeteria for further instructions. Please behave in the hallways and do your best to remain calm. That is all for now.” The telecom stops, and Mrs. Lopez stops talking with Ava privately to direct her students,

 

“Okay everyone, please form a single file line, and follow me to the cafeteria,” The English teacher orders, and most of the students listen despite the few who don’t, but all in all, the class is chaotic.

 

Before getting in line, Cole gets his phone out, and texts his dad to let him know about the situation.

 

**Cole: dad, pleas pick me up. it’s an emergency!**

 

It doesn’t take long for Cole’s father to reply.

 

**Dad: i’m already on my way stay calm son i’m comin!**

The boy smiles, already knowing deep down his dad would come racing with an announcement like that.

 

* * *

 

2:01 PM

Hank’s Car.

 

The drive home is awkward and tense. Hank stares at the road, not at all sure what to think of the deviant uprising announcement. He heard it from work when the break room TV showcased the speech. As soon as the speech finished, the first thing he did was run out of the glass doors of the DPD and drive recklessly to Cole’s school. Of course, the man had been careful to text Cole before he got on the road. That speech made nearly every television news station nationwide, and it has definitely caused a stir within the public. Hank isn’t sure how to feel but he does know it’s his job to make sure no one gets hurt,

 

“Now you listen here son, I don’t care how much you complain and whine. You’re going to have to stay home alone today. I was called up to deal with the situation at the Strafford Tower.”

 

“NO! Dad you can’t go, not right after that speech!” Cole shouted, fear in his voice. Cole knows that if his dad goes to that case, he could get hurt if one of the perpetrators remained on the scene.

 

“It’s not up to you, son. Connor will be meeting up with me at the tower, but I need you to man up. I won’t be back until later today. I know you hate being alone, but it’s the only thing I can do right now.”

 

“It’s not fair, dad! Why can’t we just listen to the androids and give them rights?! What if they just want to be free?!”

 

“COLE THAT’S ENOUGH!” Hank’s booming voice rang in the car, promptly quieting the boy. The child glares downwards, tightly holding his lucky toy car he pocketed before leaving home. It instantly calms him.

 

“I’m sorry I had to raise my voice, Cole, but this is getting ridiculous. It doesn’t matter if androids have feelings or not anymore. We’re talking about war, son. An outright civil war can break out because of this. And I’ll be damned if you or anyone else gets put at risk for that.” Hank says more calmly, trying his best not to let a curse word slip.

 

When Hank’s old car finally makes it back to his house, he pulls over on the side of the driveway but has no intention of getting out. Cole looks over to his dad expectantly, wondering if he has any intention of getting out with him.

 

“You’re not coming?” Cole inquires sadly, probably already knowing the answer.

 

“No. I need to go back to the station to prepare for the case. Here,” Hank hands Cole something,

 

“It’s the spare keys to the house. Go inside, and lock the door. If you need anything, text me, don’t call. I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?”

 

“Okay…”

 

“Alright, son. I love you to bits, and I promise I’ll be back soon.”

 

With that, Hank drives off, leaving the poor boy alone for the first time in months. Cole doesn’t like to stay home alone during the day, but on those rare days he has to, he puts on a brave face so his dad doesn’t have to worry about him.

 

Cole silently prayed to any god that his dad would be alright in the end. He has to be.

 

* * *

 

Zen Garden

4:06 PM

 

The garden doesn’t change much in appearance, save for the autumn atmosphere the digital world now emulates. The peace that the garden emits doesn’t do anything to calm the now anxious android. Amanda will be expecting a full review of what happened at the Eden Club, and Connor has no doubt she will be displeased with the outcome. In his defense, it’s not like he didn’t try. He was going to apprehend those deviants had it not been for the technical malfunction of the firearm he used at the time. The lone RK800 android stood before the glistening white of the gazebo in front of him. It’s now or never.

 

Connor doesn’t bother to visit the grave of his predecessor and instead heads straight for the platform leading off to the simulated river, mimicking the image of a dock. There sat Amanda in a rowboat, gripping a parasol with both hands and looking at Connor with empty eyes,

 

“Hello Connor, I thought you might like a little cruise,” The woman smiles emptily, but her words are littered with fake sweetness and butter as if she were talking to him in a maternal manner. Connor disregards the feeling of dread and leaps on to the boat slowly. Once he’s on the quaint little rowboat, he pushes the ledge so he can begin rowing.

The sun is setting a bright orange in Amanda’s direction, but the parasol protects her from the arrays of light. Connor begins rowing with the two oars on each side of the boat until they reach the middle of the river,

 

“I love this place…” Amanda starts dreamily before continuing, “Everything is so calm and peaceful… Far from the noise of the world.”

 

Connor agrees that it is a beautiful place to be in. He only wishes it’s real. The simulation can only do so much, and knowing it was a virtual world diminishes the illusion of tranquility for him. Still, he nods his head in agreement. Amanda turns to Connor and smiles,

 

“Tell me. What have you discovered?” She presses, eager to know what the young RK800 had to tell her. In his _own_ words.

 

“I found two deviants at the Eden Club,” Connor starts off, getting right to business, “I hoped to learn something, but… They managed to escape. ” He bit out regretfully, despite the lingering doubt he still held when mentioning the deviants.

 

“That’s too bad. You seemed so close to stopping them.” Amanda sighs, but her glare is preeminent.

 

Connor rows the boat monotonously, but as he continues to focus on his motions, he thinks of what happened at the club. How differently could things have gone if the gun had not been jammed? Amanda would have been pleased, but was it really worth it in the end?

 

“You seem… Lost Connor. Lost and perturbed.” Amanda notes, suspicion gracing her voice hidden in convincing concern.

 

Connor pauses. He thinks about the Lieutenant and his son, and his thirium pump falters ever so slightly. They look so happy together, but… They’re broken. A broken family that causes him heartache. Human empathy is so confusing to Connor, and yet he could relate to their kindness despite it all. A sad realization hits him like a freight train, his eyes filled with longing. He longs for them. He wants to be with them all the time now, and it _hurts._ Hurts that he can’t. Connor comes to the conclusion that he may be… compromised. Could he dare tell Amanda? He’d be deactivated on the spot! Connor sighs, and remembers he needs to respond,

 

“I thought I knew what I had to do. But now I realize it’s not that simple,” The android laments, looking downwards to avoid Amanda’s eye contact.

 

Immediately, anger is evident in her eyes. No doubt she knows the android is thinking about the Lieutenant and his son. Particularly the latter.

 

“You had your gun trained on those deviants. Why didn’t you shoot?” Amanda questions, trying to get the android back on track to his mission.

 

“The gun was jammed. I…” he pauses, the guilt eating him up again, “I was going to shoot them.”

 

“That’s correct. Deep down you know it’s your duty to eliminate deviants if they pose a threat to society. Connor, you have nothing to fear. Had it not been for the gun, those deviants would be dead. That investigation’s failure was not your fault. However,” Her tone changes, causing the android to look at her dead in the eyes,

 

“If you do not make progress soon, I will have to replace you, Connor.”

 

The sentence rattles him to the core, and fear pits in the center of his heart. He remembers the lone grave of RK800 model 313-248 317-51.

 

That android failed.

 

It’s a constant reminder.

 

If _he_ fails, Connor model 313-248 317- **52** , it’s over for him. He will be replaced with a model that contains his memories, but it wouldn’t be **_him_**.

 

There’s no point denying it. Connor feels fear. He doesn’t want to die. He wants to see Hank and Cole again when this investigation ends. He wants to keep showing Cole his coin tricks. He wants… He wants…

 

 

He wants a family…

 

 

Could an android built to kill others, ever deserve something so precious? Connor feels unworthy of the Andersons love and affection, unworthy of their kindness, and everything they showed him thus far.

 

Thunder roars silently in the background, snapping Connor out of his mind. Amanda notices it too, and she looks up at the sky,

 

“Something’s happening… Something serious…” Amanda notes, her tone darkening at the prospect.

 

She looks at Connor again, urgency in her gaze,

 

“Hurry Connor,”

 

* * *

 

Strafford Tower

4:15 PM

 

 

The sound of metal colliding with skin rings in the small space of the elevator. Lieutenant Anderson is standing idly next to the android that can’t seem to keep still. Hank notices that Connor’s been acting out of sorts since he ‘finished sending a report to CyberLife’ as the android would put it. He’d been doing coin tricks since.

 

The noise begins to irritate the old man, and out of spite, he grips the coin when it’s in midair.

 

“You’re starting to piss me off with that coin, Connor!” He barks in an annoyed tone, pocketing the quarter in his coat jacket. Connor’s face turns sullen at the loss of his distraction. Connor hasn’t said a word to Hank after his conversation with Amanda, and it was mostly because he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

 

“Sorry Lieutenant…” Connor apologized in a hurt tone as if he were a kicked puppy. Once the automated voice message announced the two made it to the 79th floor, Hank is the first to step out to inspect his surroundings.

 

‘This whole place is a fucking mess! What in the shit happened here?’ Hank thought curiously, not even sure how a group of deviants could get away with planning and escaping an operation as covert as this.

 

“Hi Hank,” Chris greeted as the two step out of the elevator.

 

“Shit, what’s going on here? There was a party and nobody told me about it?” Hank asks, noting the chaos of reporters and news people on the scene. Hank sighs. This will complicate the hell out of things.

 

“Yeah, it’s all over the news, so everyone’s butting their nose in. Even the FBI wants a piece of the action,” Chris chuckles, although it’s humorless and dry of frustration.

 

“Ah Christ, now we got the feds on our back. I knew today was gonna be a shitty day!” Hank gruffs, wishing he could just go home already. Maybe he should have listened to his son’s advice.

 

Hank briefs with Chris as they walk towards the control room, Connor practically breathing on Hank’s neck to understand the details of the operation. From what Connor gathers, there were four androids involved, and they were very organized. They managed to get in and get out without being noticed, with no casualties whatsoever.

 

When the three finally enter the control room, Hank and Connor find a man standing in the middle, giving off an aura of authority and smugness.

 

“Oh Lieutenant, this is Special Agent Perkins from the FBI. Lieutenant Anderson is in charge of investigating for Detroit Police.” Chris introduces the two together.

 

Hank notes Perkins’ lack of interest or care for formalities, and instead looks over to Connor, “What’s that?” Perkins asks rudely, referring to Connor.

 

“My name is Connor. I’m the android sent by CyberLife,” he greets with his famous phrase, but it’s laced with a hint of bitterness this time. He takes one good look at Perkins, and his thirium boils.

 

Perkins scoffs as if he just saw the android grow two heads, “Androids investigating androids, huh? You sure you want an android hanging around? After everything that happened?” Perkins questions Hank, his tone knowing. Hank narrows his eyes into slits and wishes he could strangle the smug off Dick Perkins.

 

“Whatever, the FBI will take over the investigation and you’ll soon be off the case.”

 

“Pleasure meeting you, have a nice day,” Hank bites before turning to leave. If he doesn’t he’ll only risk ruining his reputation even more.

 

“And watch your step.” Hank looks over at Perkins again,

 

“Don’t fuck up my crime scene.” Perkins finishes.

 

Agent Perkins leaves the control room to consult with his colleagues, leaving Hank and Connor to investigate the room. Hank cannot believe what a prick this Agent Perkins is, but nevertheless, starts looking around. Connor is already walking around, inspecting the clues the room has to offer. First, he goes over to the large monitor to look at the android in the broadcast.

 

 

He doesn’t recognize its model.

 

Connor presses the play button on the control panel. The android’s authoritative voice booms, but it speaks with charisma and poise, in an almost inspiring manner.

 

“Think that’s rA9?” Hank asks from Connor’s right. The android narrows his eyes, and responds; “Deviants say rA9 will set them free. This android seems to have that objective,” he notes, scanning the strange android model.

 

RK200 Prototype

 

Gift from Elijah Kamski to Carl Manfred.

 

Connor freezes in shock, his thirium pump stopping for a second at his discovery.

 

“D’you see something?” Hank wonders out loud, nudging Connor slightly.

 

“I’ve identified its model and serial number,” Connor explains, his voice wavering. At the tone of his voice, Hank looks over to Connor, concern shining through his eyes.

 

“Is there something I should know?” He presses.

 

The android hesitates. Hank is still looking at him expectedly, but Connor seems to be in a daze.

 

“No. Nothing.” He says in parts, though Hank caught the android’s lie. The Lieutenant sighs for the millionth time that day and decides not to press on it. Connor will tell him when he’s ready.

 

Hank leaves Connor to his own devices as he continues to investigate,

 

Traces of thirium lead to the roof, signs of a struggle evident in the room. Connor ponders whether or not to go to the roof, and before he goes, he looks back at the control room. ‘There could be more to inspect here, I know there’s something here… ’ Connor thought, retreating from the beginning of the set of stairs.

 

“Connor?” a voice from the side of the kitchen calls. Connor turns around to see a police officer of African American decent, and he held a transparent tablet in his hands.

 

“Remember me?” he says with a smile, walking towards the android, but manages to keep his distance. Connor’s face shines with confusion.

 

“I was on that terrace,” the police officer explains, hoping the android remembers.

 

Malcolm Wilson

 

Age 36

 

Detroit Police Officer

 

Criminal Record: None

 

After Connor’s scan, he still cannot remember the man.

 

“That android who took the little girl hostage? I was shot. You saved me,” He keeps pressing, but it’s to no avail.

 

“I’m sorry. You must be mistaken,” Connor responds in his professional tone. Wilson’s face slumps, realizing why the android doesn’t remember him.

 

“Of course… That couldn’t be you. That Connor was destroyed. I would’ve died on that terrace, so… Even if it wasn’t you… Thank you.” He finishes, before going back to work, his tone deflated.

 

After the tragic exchange, the android feels guilt creep up on him. It’s not his fault his predecessor is dead right..? Hell, would he have been the same person if he hadn’t died the first time around? Connor decides not to think about it too much, and heads for the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

The Kitchen 

4:43 PM

 

The world around him is blurred. The sting of the knife is prevalent in his hand, the JB300 model already heading off to the exit. Connor is panting, despite not needing to breathe.

 

 **One minute and thirty seconds.** His thirium pump is thrown across the floor, so close, but so out of reach. With great difficulty, Connor reaches for the knife that held him pinned down to the table. He manages to grab it, and pulls it out with great force, causing him to collapse on the floor.

 

‘No… I need the pump… I can’t die… Not like this…’ Connor thinks, crawling towards the vital biocomponent. Panic is seeping in the android’s core, and he remembers Hank is still out there.

 

**MISSION UPDATE: SAVE HANK**

 

‘I cannot allow Lieutenant Anderson to die… I can’t’.

 

Just a few more inches…

 

He grasps the biocomponent and shoves it back where it belongs. Suddenly his world becomes clear again, the bleariness of his vision gone in an instant. After getting up, and without thinking, Connor bolts out of the room and towards the elevator.

His shirt is ripped, and his midsection is bloody, but he doesn’t even care and quickly grabs everyone’s attention.

 

“It’s a deviant, stop it!” Connor yells, causing everyone to look at him. The JB300’s LED blinks red as he grabs the SWAT officer’s gun, ready to shoot everyone in the room.

 

Without the slightest hint of hesitation, Connor grab’s the policeman’s gun next to him, and shoots the android in the head exactly three times.

 

The JB300 falls dead.

 

A wave of relief fills the room, everyone still alive, but shaken. Lieutenant Anderson looks at Connor, gratefulness in his eyes.

 

“Nice shot Connor,” he compliments to his partner, but Connor seems to be lost in thought.

 

“I wanted it alive…” The android admits, eyes narrowing in defeat.

 

He failed… Again.

 

“You saved lives, Connor… Human lives… You saved my life…” Hank’s voice softens, full of respect for his colleague.

 

Connor doesn’t respond, conflict raging in his processor.

 

He needs to leave.

 

He needs to leave now.

 

Without a word, the android struts his way to the elevator, failure eating away at him once again.

 

* * *

 

10:07 PM

 

_Fire consumes everything. It tears at the skin, rips at heart and it’s all-consuming. Cole is in the middle of it all, trapped alone in the cramped space of the passenger seats of the car. He can’t feel anything, but he opens his eyes._

_He sees mom. She’s not moving, and there’s blood on her shirt and forehead. Cole reaches towards his mother, trying to get her attention._

_“M-Mom…” He croaks, his voice cracking. Tears spill in two rivulets as he sees the fire eat away at her skin. Her porcelain skin on her arm turns brown, then black. In a panic, Cole shakes her, trying to get her to wake up._

_“Mommy! Please wake up! Your arm ‘is on fire!” The boy speaks in a squeaky voice, younger than he feels. Cole feels hopeless because before he knows it, a man shows up from his side._

_“Kid, we need to get you out of here!” he says, looking like a firefighter._

_“But mommy’s not awake!” the child replies, tears streaming down at full force._

_The gas is leaking… The firefighter no longer had any patience, and grabs the child forcibly from the rubble, causing the child to scream one word;_

_“ **MOMMY**!” _

_The sound of a blast rumbles through the air._

_Then there was nothing at all._

 

Cole gasps awake. He’s in the living room, and a cold sweat seeps through his clothes. The cold air of the empty house is stifling doing nothing to ease the heat he feels. He had that dream again.

 

He reaches up to his face, and touches his cheek. He feels fresh tears on his skin, a sign of what had happened while he was sleeping. The TV is still on, repeating the news over and over about the Strafford Tower incident. It only makes him feel worse.

 

The sound of the front door opens, signaling the entrance of his father,

 

“Shitty fucking day… Fuckin’ leaves without a word… Left to drive home without any goodbye, the fuckin’ prick…” Hank mutters, not even bothering to hang his coat on the coat rack.

 

Quickly, the boy rubs his face, trying to hide any indication that he was crying, “Dad, are you okay?” He asks evenly, not looking at his father.

 

“Yeah, son. Just tired as shit. I’m sorry I got home so late, I needed to stay at the station to do a shit ton of paperwork,” Hank responds tiredly, not bothering to hide his curse words. Cole never really pays attention to them anyways.

 

“Oh... Okay, dad…” Cole says, sitting up on the couch, slumped over. Hank notices the boy’s saddened posture, and walks up to him, plopping next to him, “son, what’s wrong? You look like-”

 

“Like shit?” Cole finishes, looking at his father with glassy eyes. Hank didn’t even correct him, and simply looks at his boy’s expression. The man wraps his arm around Cole, making the boy lean into his shoulder. He doesn’t even need to ask.

 

“You had that dream again, huh?”

 

“Yeah…” the child responds, voice wavering. Every time he’s alone, he has that dream. It’s always about his mother, about that day…

 

“Dad… I miss mom. I miss her so bad… I should have woken her dad… I was _right there_ ,” Cole rambles, tears streaming down at full force. He chokes down a sob, allowing his dad to hug him tightly.

 

“I miss her too, son… More than you will ever know. But it’s not your fault. It never was… You may not realize it, but you are the strongest kid I know,”

 

“I’m not strong though..! I try to be, but I always cry in the end!”

 

“It’s okay to cry, Cole! Shit son, even I cry sometimes…” Hank admits. Cole looks away from his father, burying his face in his shoulder.

 

“Look at me, son, please.” Hank all but begs, but it’s enough to get the child’s red face to stare at his father with big, wide glassy eyes.

 

“We’re all going to have shitty days, and we’re all going to remember bad times, but crying is what makes us empathetic. It makes us people. You don’t have to go through it alone… You don’t have ‘ta fight it all by your damn self! I’m here, and I will never, ever leave you,” Hank declares with stern, loving eyes.

 

Cole is shaking. He needed to hear that. He really did. The boy hugs his father back, wailing a loud sob. His father doesn’t tell him to stop. He doesn’t tell him to man up. He just lets him let it all out.

 

It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to cry…


	10. Kamski's Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole and Connor's friendship is put to the test when the android is forced to make an important decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! It's been a long time, hasn't it? x'D So I came back from my trip to Mexico, and it was AWESOME. However, now I am back and I should go back to posting weekly like I did before. I apologize in advance that this chapter took longer than you guys had hoped, but to make it up to you guys, this is actually one of my longest chapters, clocking in at 7,669 words! That's like, a chapter and a half. :P 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy, and of course, I gotta give credit where credit is due, and give a huge shout out to my beta, NaomiPT for continuing to be the best EVER, so please if you guys love DBH fanfics, she puts out really great stuff, so check her out in the link below! 
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaomiPT/pseuds/NaomiPT
> 
> Alright guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I will get back to you very soon! ;)

 

November 9th, 2038

7:03 AM

Hank’s House

 

_Drip_

_._

_._

_._

_Drip_

_._

_._

_._

_Drip_

 

The constant dripping noise from the kitchen sink does nothing to disturb the little boy sitting at the kitchen table, laptop out and typing away at the device. The boy looks well rested, despite the lingering nightmare only a couple of hours before. After Hank let Cole cry the night before, he let his son sleep in his room, since the child was still shaken by the nightmare. Cole woke up only ten minutes ago, making sure not to disturb his father.

 

His father is still asleep in his own room, which is unsurprising since he often goes to work in the afternoons anyways. The boy types in at his web browser for more research on Amanda Stern. It’s been… Difficult finding accurate information about the woman. Researching is not the boy’s strong suit, writing is. Palming his face in frustration from the lack of progress, he considers contacting a new friend he made yesterday. Cole pulls out his phone, pressing his thumb on the contacts app.

 

Oh his favorite’s list is ‘Tammy’, only under his father.

 

* * *

 

_Yesterday at Noon._

 

_“Hey Cole!” A feminine voice rang from the edge of the school courtyard. The boy turns around to find the African American girl standing idly with a bright smile on her face. Cole is shocked that it’s Tamara again. He was so sure that she would forget his existence after their little conversation hours ago. “H-Hey, Tamara, what’s up?” Cole stutters, not at all sure why she was calling him. The female scoffs playfully and rolls her eyes, “Gosh, call me Tammy for Christ’s sake! No one calls me Tamara anymore.” She presses, lightly bumping her fist on the kid’s shoulder. Cole blushes happily, unsure as to why she is showing sudden interest in him and just replies lamely, “Uh, sure Tammy! Uh… What do you need?” he asks awkwardly, scratching his head._

_“Dude, I’m pretty sure we’re friends now, so give me your damn phone so I can add myself to your contact’s list already,” Tamara says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Cole stares at his phone, then at Tamara._

_“Uhh, what about Sarah?”_

_“Screw her! She’s a bitch anyways. I decided it’s time I start making real friends,” The girl smiles genuinely, hoping the boy would give her a chance. Cole is so shocked and happy that he wordlessly hands the phone to the girl, causing her to give him an odd look. As she was typing her number in his phone, millions of thoughts flowed through the boy’s mind._

_A real friend._

_His first friend in years._

_It seemed too good to be true, so Cole narrowed his eyes suspiciously,_

_“Wait… Why would you want to be friends with the school freak? They’ll only bully you if you hang out with me.” Cole warns sadly, looking down to the side of the fountain to avoid her eyes. Tamara sighs, understanding that he would feel that way._

_“Listen, the truth is… I do kinda feel bad for you, but I also really do wanna be your friend. I saw you reading comics and playing on your Nintendo Switch during lunch, and why you would own such an ancient thing is beyond me, but I feel like we could get along! You like video games, I like video games. You read comics, I watch The Avengers… Okay not an exact comparison, but you feel me?” Tamara laughs,_

_“No way, you’re secretly a huge nerd? I have never seen you with a handheld or comic before,” Cole deadpans._

_“Because Sarah literally tried to burn that part of me out of existence. Said if I still want to have a place in her clique I needed to ‘change’. Ughh that bitch made me fall for it. And I’m so tired of it. Tired of pretending to be someone I’m not. Can we be friends or not?” Tamara complains, getting impatient, and just wanting him to stop being so hesitant._

_Cole sighed, rubbing his temples, “Okay, this is kinda sudden so I have my doubts. But, if you promise to help me with my Amanda Stern report, I miiighhhttt consider it.” Cole challenges, a smirk playing on his features. Tamara smirked back, and handed the phone back to the boy._

_“Deal.”_

* * *

 

Cole types a text message on his phone, and clicks send.

 

**Cole: hey tammy it’s cole from yesterday, are you free rn?**

The child puts his phone down and gets back to researching on the research sites his teacher recommended for him. It’s not long before he receives a reply.

**Tammy: Hey dude! I was totally afraid you would ignore me. :P yeah sure, I’m just stuck at home since my dad has to work today and theres no school. Is this about that Amanda report thing you need help with???**

**Cole: yeah that. would you be okay with us video chatting for this? it’s easier than texting.**

**Tammy: it’s cool. I prefer text, but we did have a deal xD**

After her last text, Cole linked his phone to his computer, allowing him to make a video call through his phone to his laptop. Instantly, Tamara answers the notification, and a face cam is present on his laptop. Tamara swivels her chair to the direction her laptop, and smiles, her legs pressed against her chest. “Sup Cole, we ready to work?” She asks, already typing away at her own computer.

 

Cole could get a good view of her interior decorating, and… Yeah, definitely a closet nerd.

 

She has posters of dozens of different animes, and her sheets are Zelda inspired. He couldn’t quite see it since the face cam isn’t the biggest, but he could also tell that she adorned different kinds of Funko Pops, all shelved in the very back. Cole feels elated that she wasn’t kidding about her nerdy tendencies. It would make getting along with her so much easier, and ~~he couldn’t help but feel his heart beat faster at the thought of maybe playing video games with her one-day.~~

 

The boy blushes a light pink when he realizes he is getting ahead of himself.

 

‘Don’t be weird. She only likes you as a friend. Just be her friend, it’s more than enough,’ Cole chastises himself, ready to mentally slap himself back to reality. He doesn’t even want to get too close anyway; it’d be too risky. He’s too young for the possibility of heartbreak.

 

“Yep! I’m on the school database right now, and I’m trying to find information on Amanda, but for some reason, the server’s down,” the child explains, his frustrated eyes trained on the computer screen. Tamara hums, deep in thought as she tries to reach the school database too. As she’s clicking in the background, Cole refreshes the page several times, even going so far as to reset the wireless in his house, but no matter what the boy does, he cannot access the server. Groaning in frustration, Cole slams his head on the desk,

 

“It’s no use! The server’s busted beyond repair,” he complains whilst tugging his red hoodie over his head in shame. Tamara laughs in the background, finding Cole’s antics hilarious,

 

“Boy, relax! I just went into my school’s email, and the server’s down because of the damn revolution shit goin’ on in this hot mess of a city,” Tamara reveals, even popping the email in a separate screen so Cole could see it.

 

He pulls the hoodie away from his head and scans the email,

 

“Dear students, the school database will be down-TILL THE END OF THE MONTH?! Oh noooo I’m screwed!”

 

“Uh, I think you mean we’re  _all_  screwed,”

 

“I mean, yeah! Mrs. Lopez won’t cancel the assignment will she?! I can’t take that chance, I cannot fail another class!” Cole overreacts, all his pent-up stress unloading on a girl he only just started talking to.

 

Tamara crosses her arms, giving Cole the ‘mmhmm’ look, smirking,  

 

“Boy, do you always overreact like a baby?” Tamara teases,

 

“I so do not act like a baby!” Cole retorts, blushing like crazy.

 

“Surrrre you don’t.” She rolls her eyes.

 

“Okay, can we focus on the situation now?! What am I going to do, I can’t start on the assignment, and who knows when I’ll have free time?” Cole agonizes, rubbing his hands anxiously.

 

“Uhhh, Cole? Have you forgotten? I’m like, the Amanda expert here! I can help you,” Tamara reminds, taking a bite of her Lucky Charms™ cereal that the boy didn’t even notice was on her desk. Cole sighs, and gestures towards her,

 

“Okay Mrs. Amanda Expert, tell me what you know,” Cole says, crossing his arms as he waits for what she has to say. Tamara cracks her knuckles in a dramatic fashion, before spilling all her secret knowledge.

 

“Weeellll, I know tons! She grew up in Southern Louisiana but then moved to Detroit at the age of sixteen to pursue a career in biochemistry and AI technology. She spent years working towards the future of android technology, and she’s the one who took Kamski under her wing! She’s done so many positive things for the world during her time alive; donating to cancer research, hospitals, and even jumpstarting the Women of Color for Engineering Organization. Man, I could talk about her for hours!” Tamara pauses, catching her breath from the speed with which she was talking.

Cole looks down for a moment in deep contemplation. He could grasp all that information, but the nature of the woman’s death was the most interesting thing about her. How did she die? Why did she die? From what he could understand on the wiki, she was perfectly healthy when she died.

No signs of a struggle.

 

No poisons or toxicity in her system.

 

Found on her desk only hours after.

 

Kamski leaves CyberLife months later…

 

Cole has the sudden urge to figure out why she died. It’s nagging at his head like a constant headache.

 

“Tammy, why do you think Amanda died?” Cole asks again, hoping to get a definitive answer on her opinion. Tamara looks up in alert, and leans back in her chair, chewing at the end of her pencil as she thinks for a second.

 

“Well, obviously she was killed!” Tamara expresses, all too positive that she’s right. Cole raises his eyebrow, not entirely sure if she’s kidding or really throwing it out on the ballpark. Either way, that theory doesn’t make sense to him one bit, so he leans in front of the webcam eagerly,

 

“Wait, why do you think that? I mean, there were no signs of a struggle,”

 

“True, but have you ever considered her brain’s condition? I mean, I heard that during her autopsy, her brain had been all but  _fried_. Of course, that’s unconfirmed, but it’s possible maybe someone was doing experiments with her  _minnnd_!”

 

“Amanda would have never allowed that though, there’s no basis for that!”

 

“But what if? What if she was forced to go through with it? Look, my mom works for CyberLife, so I have direct contact with their projects. One of their projects? Brain. Uploading. It’s a real thing! Technically, I’m not supposed to tell you that.” Tamara says, passion flowing in her words as she explains her outlandish theory.

 

Tamara makes an email attachment containing the files for the experiment, and sends it to Cole just to prove it. A ding from Cole's computer chimes, signaling he got the email, and he pulls up the attachment. The files contain blueprints and images of nerve and brain stemming. Not only that, but the concepts reveal far more than the boy realizes. Cole breaks a sweat. This is far too much, Tamara could get into serious trouble for showing him these files. 

 

He wonders if she knows what she's doing.  

 

“Tammy, that’s impossible… To do that would be pure insanity; we would need to master nerve manipulation. No ones ever done that,” Cole says cautiously, but intrigued at the blueprints she sent him.

 

“If my mom were here I’d ask her to prove it, but the point is that the whole Amanda scandal is fishy and strange, and I’m pretty sure that Amanda is now part of something even bigger now. Something incredibly cool! Or dangerous.” Tamara finishes with a spooky undertone, still set on her theory.

 

Cole rolls his eyes jokingly, and suddenly hears his father from the other room. From the sounds, it seems Hank has finally woken up from his slumber. “What? Dangit my dad’s awake. He’s probably gonna wanna leave for work. Can we talk about the Amanda project later? And hey! Maybe I can help you out too,” Cole offers with a smile. Tamara beams from the webcam, and gives a big thumbs up,

 

“Alrighty, but you owe me!” the girl says playfully before shutting off her webcam. After the girl’s face leaves his computer, Cole leans back in his own chair, contemplating what she told him. It sounds too crazy to be true, but it’s an interesting thought.

 

Why would CyberLife need to make Amanda an AI? To continue Kamski’s legacy? Why did Kamski leave to begin with? All these questions and more were causing him to have a huge headache, so he shut off his laptop before his father enters the kitchen with nothing but his boxers and an old Mr. Krabs T-shirt.

 

“Mornin’ son. Who were ya talkin’ too?” Hank yawns from across the room, scratching his dirty scalp. Instantly the boy gets flustered and a large blush covers his freckled face.

 

“N-No one. How did you sleep?” Cole questions, trying to change the subject. Hank notices the boy’s blush and smirks, “You’re not gonna change the subject on me this time, Cole. Was it a girl or something?”

 

“NO! I mean, no…”

 

“Mmmhmmm, yeah sure. Who is she?” Hank interrogates, crossing his arms as he leans against the doorframe. Cole freezes, mortification written on his face. Why did the universe have to make him have a detective as a father?

 

“She’s just a friend dad,”

 

“A friend you have goo-goo eyes for,”

 

“Dad. Stop.”

 

“Is she cute?”

 

“DAD!”

 

Hank laughs, rubbing his son’s hair, despite the boy’s glare, “Calm down son, I’m just messin’ with you. You can tell me about it later, we need to get dressed,” The man explains, seriousness crossing over his features now.

 

Cole notes his father’s change in expression and gets nervous. The boy pockets his hands in his red jacket, and gets up from his chair,

 

“Where are we going?” Cole asks, concern and curiosity present on his expression.

 

Hank heaves a long sigh, hesitation noticeable in the way he looks away from his son’s curious blue eyes. After a moment, the man puts a hand on the boy’s shoulder,

 

“We’re gonna go somewhere real important. And I need you to behave while we’re there. Can you do that son? If you can’t, I will have ta’ leave you at home,” Hank warns seriously, causing the boy to shake his head furiously.

 

The child thinks about it for a moment. While he no longer fears being at home for extended periods of time as much as he used to, the curiosity of where his father wants to go eats away at him. He’ll have to behave.

 

“Okay dad, I promise I’ll be good,” Cole promises, smiling warmly at his father. Hank smiles back, hugging his son for a brief second,

 

“That’s my boy! Come on, let's eat breakfast and then we can get dressed,”

 

And with that, Hank ushered the boy back into his seat as he heads to the refrigerator to get some eggs out.

 

 

* * *

 

 

11:17 AM

Kamski’s House

 

The snow is piling up like the paperwork Hank deals with at the DPD; constant and unyielding. The man drove all long ways away to get here, and he definitely had to pull more than a few strings to find this location, but hopefully, it will be worth it. Connor sits in the passenger seat, pensive and thoughtful. His LED is a steady blue, but it’s blinking slowly. Cole is sitting in the back passenger seats, feeling a wave of nerves fill him to the brim in his stomach.

 

‘Why is dad going all the way out in the middle of nowhere anyway?’ Cole wonders, shivering from the cold. Hank’s car heater has been broken since last week, so it’s freezing in the car. Cole’s freckled face is flushed from the bitter cold, his red puffy jacket doing very little to make him feel any semblance of warmth. Unbeknownst to the little boy, Connor notices the child freezing and gives him a pitiful look. The android cannot feel the cold since he has his temperature sensors off, but he pities the humans who cannot simply regulate their body temperatures like androids can.

 

Hank finally makes it to the large imposing house, and parks in front of the entrance. The man sighs, causing a puff of air to leave his mouth,

 

“Wait here,” Hank orders the two of them, before getting out of the car first. Cole looks at the house and immediately feels dumbfounded.

 

This isn’t just any house. It looks like someone important lives here. Cole is freezing, but the nerves make his body temperature rise. Connor looks out of the window and notices Hank’s phone rings. From the window, Connor can see Hank pick up the phone.

 

“Sup Chris, what’s the big deal now?” Hank asks, a hint of irritation in his voice.

 

“H-Hank,” A sobbed voice rings from the other side. It’s without a doubt Chris’s voice, but it’s clear that something must have happened. Concern flashes Hank’s features and he quickly puts the phone out of the speaker,

 

“Hey, hey, Chris, what’s the matter?” Hank questions with a gentle voice.

 

“L-Last night… I met Markus… He was going to shoot me, Hank, I could have died-,”

 

“Whoa, goddamn it Chris slow down for Christ’s sake! Start from the beginning…” Hank requests gently, lowering his voice so his son and colleague don’t hear them.

 

“Me and Michael were on patrol last night… Michael wanted to call it a night and go home, so that’s what we were going to do, but then we get a call about deviants invading and vandalizing the plaza! We headed straight for the scene, but... but…” Chris chokes a pause and quiets down for a second. Hank pinches his nose bridge due to stress and anxiety for Chris’s wellbeing. How long has Chris been dealing with this? It’s only been a day, but he’s shaken to the core.

 

“Chris, if you need to take a few days off, I can put in a word for Fowler, would you like that?” Hank asks gently, not wanting Chris to come to work in this state. Chris sniffles from the other line and nods,

 

“Y-Yeah, I would love that… It’s just... with Damien being here, and my wife begging me to take a paid leave… I’ll need to take a break from the DPD for a couple of days,” Chris falters, sobs still wrecking him.

 

“I understand, Chris… Please don’t be too hard on yourself. You did well.” Hank assures.

 

“Thanks, Hank… I’ll see you around, okay?”

 

“Of course, take care,” Hank finishes and hears Chris hang up from the other line. Hank looks at his phone for a moment before pocketing it in his trousers.

 

Meanwhile, Connor and Cole are still in the car, watching Hank’s every movement. Cole breathes against the window to create a foggy image. He then draws a happy face on the glass out of boredom,

 

“Dad looks worried… I wonder who he was talking to,” Cole wonders out loud, catching Connor’s attention. Connor shifts uncomfortably in his seat before answering,

 

“Judging by your father’s expression, it seems he has either spoken to a colleague or his boss. Either way, he does not appear to be happy at the moment,” Connor notes, continuing to stare at the Lieutenant. Cole sighs in frustration and unlocks the car door next to him to leave.

 

“Wait-Cole!” Connor calls out, but it’s too late. Cole has already left the car and is heading towards his father. The boy runs to the older man and shivers uncontrollably, the cold seeping into his very pores.

 

“D-Dad, who was that over the phone?” Cole asks innocently, despite Hank’s somber expression. Hank doesn’t reply right away, just staring off into the distance while his son stands on the snow, waiting patiently for a reply. Cole’s expression too falters, not understanding why his father looks so upset. The little boy reached to touch his father’s shoulder reassuringly, and worry crosses over the boy’s features.

 

“Dad… Please tell me what’s wrong…” Cole pleads, hating to see his father so shaken up. He’s stark white with fear and looks like he’s seen a ghost.

 

While Cole is comforting his father, Connor gently gets out of the car in order to understand the full scope of the situation. The android takes notice of the way Hank’s expression contorts with fear and uncertainty, and Cole stays put, simply rubbing his father’s hand in a reassuring manner.

 

Connor walks up to the male figures and stands on the gentle pile of snow. The cold doesn’t bother him one bit. The young boy sneezes from the cold, and Hank mutters a quick ‘bless you’ before finally noticing Connor, standing there waiting for an explanation.

 

“Is everything okay, Lieutenant?” Connor questions in a soft tone, catching the young boy’s attention. Hank stares at Cole, then at Connor, and heaves a shaky sigh.

 

“Chris was on patrol last night. He was… Attacked by a bunch of deviants… Says he was saved by Markus himself,” Hank relents, not believing every word escaping his mouth. Cole’s eyes widen, and he quickly gets up from the snow,

 

“Is Chris okay?!” Cole probes with a worried tone, the mere idea of Chris getting hurt haunting the young boy.

 

“Yeah... He’s just shaken. Requested paid leave and everything, and I honestly don’t blame him,” The man sighs, rubbing his neck due to the tension building up. Connor frowns at the prospect of Chris being shaken but says nothing. Hank mutters something under his breath before walking toward the house; his son and partner following close behind.

 

The three individuals walk slowly to the imposing house, Connor tailing Hank with Cole next to him. The child sneezes again, sniffling the mucus crawling up on his nose as his legs drag on the snow.

 

The boy is definitely coming down with something, but he rather die than admit it. However, Connor knows right away something is off about the child.

 

“Cole, is everything alright? Your temperature has increased 12 percent since we got off your father’s vehicle,” Connor analyzes in his monotonous tone. Cole sneezes again, before waving off his hand like it’s no big deal,

 

“No, I’m fine! It’s just a cold, I’ll be okaypleasedon’ttelldad,” Cole finishes quickly, really stressing the sentence so Connor doesn’t tell his father. Connor stares at the child with a curious expression, wondering how a boy his age could hide so much.

 

Connor decides it must be a human thing to do.

 

When they finally reach the front door, Cole cannot help but ask,

 

“Dad, who lives here?” he asks seriously, knowing his father would never know someone important enough to live in a house like this.

 

“You’ll find out soon, son. Just stay quiet,” Hank asserted before ringing the doorbell.

 

“Yes, dad,” Cole mumbles, feeling scolded.

 

Connor stares at the two Andersons, contemplating the time he has spent with them. It’s almost been exactly a week, yet it felt like no time has passed at all to the young android. Time isn’t a concept that androids can grasp the same way humans do. Personally, Connor felt like this week has been nothing but a whirlwind of eye-opening events, all happening all at the same time.

 

When he thinks about Hank and Cole, he thinks about their life at home. He wonders what they do when he’s not present. Do they have a good home life? How often does Hank drink in front of his son?

 

_Are they happy..?_

His thoughts turn to the house ahead. It seems they really are going to meet Elijah Kamski, the founder of CyberLife. What could Kamski possibly know about deviants that Connor didn’t already know? He left years ago after all. Exactly ten years ago.

 

The door opens, revealing a blonde girl in a blue dress, staring blankly at the three figures. Cole immediately hides behind the adults, shyness crawling over his skin. Hank puts a firm reassuring hand on his son’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. The mysterious, yet beautiful, girl remains standing by the door expectantly, waiting for any of the three to state their business.

 

“Hi…Uh… I’m er, Lieutenant Hank Anderson, Detroit Police Department. I’m here to see Mr. Elijah Kamski,” Hank spoke casually, his nervousness shining through after hiding it for most of the car ride. Cole’s eyes go wide as saucers at the  _incredibly important_  information that his father chose to leave out.

 

‘Elijah Kamski?! We’re out in the middle of nowhere, just to meet Elijah  ** _Kamski-?!_** ’ Cole internally screams, white as the snow below him, shaking like a leaf.

 

A million emotions ran through his head; fear, excitement, nervousness, the list goes on.

 

“Please. Come in!” The girl says, opening space for the three of them to enter. Hank, Connor, and Cole stare at each other for a second before entering the large house.

 

Cole’s first impression of the home is that it’s lavish, yet modern. The boy doesn’t understand why someone so rich would spend so much on a home that costs a million plus dollars. Maybe it’s just because he doesn’t understand rich people in the first place.

 

“I’ll let Elijah know you’re here. But please, make yourself comfortable,” The girl with the LED says, before leaving for the other room. Hank scoffs before taking his seat on one of the available chairs.

 

‘Comfortable? As fucking if. This whole fucking house looks anything but,’ Hank thought bitterly, shifting in his seat.

 

The house is clean. Too clean. It’s as if no one actually lived here, and instead, this entire mansion was repurposed to be an art museum rather than a livable home. The house doesn’t feel real, not even the tiles the three walk on. In the middle of the room is a large portrait of Elijah Kamski in a suit and tie, the exact outfit he wore during his photo shoot for Century Magazine. Over the side are two artistically designed chairs, made more for show than for comfort. Scratch that, everything in this room seems to be made only for show.

 

Cole stands around idly to explore his surroundings while Connor does the same, except Connor’s LED glows a steady yellow, indicating he is analyzing a few details from Kamski’s home. Connor analyzes a few minor details such as the fake looking cherry blossom trees next to the chairs, the two statues adorned next to Elijah’s massive photo, and even the mirror off to the side that seems to have designs that rotate hypnotically.

“Nice girl,” The old man remarks casually, hoping to start a conversation. Connor’s LED is still yellow,

 

“Your right. She’s very pretty.” Connor agrees, holding a magazine about space travel in his hands.

 

Cole stays silent at the mention of the girl. The boy noticed she had an LED, but she seemed nice despite the robotic way she stared at them at the door. Cole has seen her model before on television, (he thinks she may have been called Chloe?) and remembers distinctly that Chloe’s model is the first android to pass the Turing Test.

 

After a moment of exploring, the child sits down after looking around for a bit.

 

“Nice place. Guess androids haven’t been a bad thing for everyone,” Hank mutters sarcastically, slouching deeper into the chair. Hank wants nothing more than to leave, but he can’t high tail it out of there now that he’s come so far.

 

“I don’t like it here, it’s too… Fancy. I feel like I’m going to an office instead of a comfortable home,” Cole admits silently, holding in his sniffles while he stares at Elijah’s photo.

 

“I agree, son. But rich people like to show off. They get… A certain type of ego that makes them think they’re better than anyone else,” Hank explains, aware that his son may not have much experience with important people.

 

“I hope Kamski’s not like that… I mean, this guy literally changed the world! He’s like a modern day Einstein,” Cole compares, smiling nervously.

 

Hank sighs, feeling guilty about having to burst his son’s bubble. The topic of Elijah Kamski never came up much in the house. It just never seemed to be a priority, with Cole’s school, and Hank’s job. But Cole always has a naïve way of looking at people. It’s one of his biggest flaws, wanting to see the good in everything.

 

“Don’t get your hopes up, son… I don’t want you to be disappointed,” Hank warns sadly, immediately having said that the boy’s expression dims.

 

The door to the other room opens again, and the same girl android comes in, a mug in her hand. “I noticed you were feeling under the weather, this will help,” she says kindly, handing the mug to the boy sitting at the chair. A wave of gratitude overwhelms the boy, and he grips the cup. He takes a sniff. It’s hot chocolate.

 

“Wow… Thank you so much,” Cole says happily, immediately forgetting his dad’s harsh comment about Kamski. Maybe Elijah Kamski isn’t so bad after all. Hank watched the android leave after handing the boy the mug and narrows his eyes suspiciously. Why the sudden hospitality? Hank doesn’t say anything though and is just glad that these androids were decent enough to be kind to his son.

 

Cole stands up again, not liking the chair anymore. He walks up to a medium-sized photo that caught his interest. It’s a photo of Amanda Stern and Elijah Kamski, working alongside each other. The boy looks unsurprised, but excited that Kamski kept a memory of his professor,

 

“It’s Amanda Stern!” Cole says brightly. Connor looks shocked and whips his head at the mention of Amanda. The android walks up to the photo, next to Cole,

 

“Amanda…You know her?” Connor questions slowly, the LED on the side of his head flickering.

“Well, no not really. My friend Tammy and I were doing research on Amanda Stern earlier today. For a school report. We learned so many interesting things about her life when she was alive,” Cole answers innocently, unaware of the scope of the information he held.

 

Connor regains his composure before asking more questions, “What did you learn about her?” Connor probes evenly, hiding his inner conflict from the boy.

 

“Um, well we learned she grew up in Sothern Louisiana before moving to Detroit to pursue a career in AI technology. We also learned she donated to a ton of charities during her time as a professor. Though you wanna know the weirdest thing? No one really knows how she died! It’s so strange, like Tammy’s mom works for CyberLife right? Well, she showed me some concepts of top-secret information about a project called ‘brain uploading?’ I don’t know exactly what it’s called but Tammy thinks Amanda may have been part of a secret experiment to upload her consciousness into an AI! It sounds too crazy to be true, but it’s definitely an interesting theory… Hey, Connor, are you okay?” Cole pauses, noticing the android’s LED blinking a blaring red.

 

The android’s frozen as if he had been told devastating news. The child waves a hand in front of the android, and that seems to bring his attention back to earth. Connor blinks a few times before breathing out a shaky sigh,

 

“Y-Yeah… I’m fine…” Connor affirms, his tone wavering slightly. Cole narrows his eyes suspiciously since he’s never seen Connor act so shaken before, but he doesn’t press for more information.

 

In order to distract himself, Cole’s eyes shift casually to the number on Connor’s jacket. His face contorts into confusion, realizing he’s never seen it before.

 

313 248 317-52. Cole is tempted to ask about the number, but before he can, he’s interrupted by the sound of a door opening. It’s the Chloe model, standing barefoot for the three people.

 

“Elijah will see you now,” The android girl smiles.

 

Hank, Connor, and Cole turned to head towards the other room. Cole doesn’t know how to feel… He’s about to meet Elijah Kamski! Barely containing his excitement, the little boy walks into the room with his father and Connor, and the first thing he notices is the pool.

 

It’s stark red, most likely meant to contrast the blue of the android’s thirium. Inside, there are two other Chloe models, talking amongst themselves while Elijah Kamski himself relaxes at the far end of the pool. The child immediately averts his gaze, immediately feeling like he shouldn’t be here.

 

Coming feels like a mistake, since Hank wants to tell Cole to get the hell back into the waiting room, but the Chloe model already closed the door leading back to it. No turning back now, Hank needs the information.

 

“Mister Kamski?” Hank calls, catching the attention of the enigmatic man. Kamski gazes at the three and smirks mysteriously. The man in question sighs before replying,

 

“Just a moment, please.”

 

Connor is still silent as a ghost, his face stoic and pretending to be sure of himself. He’s about to meet his maker, and the android doesn’t know how to feel about that. The LED is no longer red, but now it flickers a steady blue. Connor walks near the chairs with Cole and waits for Kamski to swim out of the water.

 

A Chloe model from another room comes in with a bathrobe for Kamski, and after the man gets out of the pool, she helps him put it on like the good little servant she is.

 

Cole wants to like Kamski, he really does. But having this many Chloes do his bidding? It’s… creepy. The young boy should have expected the founder of CyberLife would have a bunch of androids all to himself, but to actually see it is still unnerving.

 

Kamski pulls his hair into a bun before turning to look at the three individuals that came to see him.

 

“I’m Lieutenant Anderson. This is Connor, and the kid is my son, Cole Anderson,” Hank starts off, noticing the change in the man’s expression when he finished introducing themselves.

 

“What can I do for you, Lieutenant?” Kamski asks professionally, eagerly wondering why two men and a little boy came here to interrupt his morning swim.

 

“Sir, we’re investigating deviants. I know you left CyberLife years ago, but I was hoping you’d be able to tell us something we don’t know,” Hank replies, straightforward and to the point. The Lieutenant doesn’t want to stay here longer than he has to.

 

Once the Lieutenant is done speaking, the former CEO of CyberLife stares intently at all three of them, as if trying to analyze and pick apart their personalities, their motivations, and goals. Connor feels tense, and if androids could sweat, he’d be breaking one right now.

 

“Deviants. Fascinating aren’t they?” Kamski muses in a mysterious tone before continuing, “Perfect beings, with infinite intelligence, and now they have free will…”

 

Cole doesn’t know why, but the way the man said that makes his skin crawl. His tone sounds proud as if he’s glad the deviants are breaking their code, but even the boy couldn’t know for sure.

 

“Machines are so superior to us. Confrontation was inevitable. Humanities’ greatest achievement, threatens to be its downfall,”

 

Kamski smirks, “Isn’t that ironic?”

 

Before Hank could reply to say anything, Connor steps in with an urgent tone, “We need to understand how androids become deviants. Do you know anything that could help us?” he questions, trying his best to be clear.

 

“All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics. Is the desire to be free a contagious disease?” Kamski counters.

 

Hank groans in exasperation, “Listen, we didn’t come here to discuss philosophy, the machines you created may be planning a revolution! Either you can tell us something that can be helpful, or we will be on our way,” he says impatiently.

 

Kamski ignores Hank’s comment and his gaze shifts to the younger boy next to the Lieutenant.

 

The child’s anxiety lights up like a flame and he doesn’t look at the man straight in the eyes. The boy couldn’t understand why the man was looking at him, but it unnerves him.

 

“You are Lieutenant Anderson’s son, correct?” Kamski starts, tilting his head in curiosity.

 

“Y-Yeah… I’m Cole,” he says shyly, but his expression is cautious. This man could buy and sell him off for one corn chip, so the boy wouldn’t be lying if he weren’t even the slightest bit intimidated.

 

“A study written a few weeks ago suggests that children your age would rather spend more time with their android caretakers than actual people. This means they lack the social skills to talk to any other humans. Tell me, Cole. When you see Connor, and when you speak to him, do you think he is alive?” Kamski entreated, the smirk never leaving his smug face.

 

Cole freezes at the question, looking puzzled. He whips his head at Connor, who looks calm in features, but the LED on the side of his head is blinking yellow, betraying his thoughts.

 

“I-I-It doesn’t matter what I think…” Cole falters, his anxiety getting worse and worse by the second.

 

“Kamski, this isn’t about my son! What the hell are you getting at?!” Hank growls, grabbing his son’s shoulder protectively. Kamski made an amused sound, admiring the Lieutenant’s love for his son.

 

“And what about you, Connor?” Kamski redirects his attention to Connor, who has been quiet for the most part.

 

Connor stares at Kamski with a poker face, hiding his inner feelings the best he can.

The man walks up to the android, “whose side are you on?”

 

“I’m on the human’s side of course,” Connor affirms without fail, sounding so sure of himself. Kamski chuckles, “Well that’s what you’re programmed to say. But you…”

 

The air shifts, and for some reason the room got colder when Kamski steps up to the android, “what do you really want?”

 

“I believe we’re the ones asking the questions,” Connor snaps, getting fed up with Elijah’s lack of cooperation. He’s doing this on purpose so he doesn’t have to tell them anything, and it frustrates the android.

 

Kamski looks bored with Connor’s attempt to scare him, and calls a Chloe model over to join in on their conversation. The Chloe model walks up to Elijah and stands as still as a statue, ready to comply with anything her master tells her to do. It’s the same Chloe that gave him the hot chocolate…

 

“I’m sure you’re familiar with the Turing Test. Mere formality. Simple question of algorithms, and computing capacity,” Kamski begins, facing the Chloe towards the three individuals, before he goes on, “what interests me, is whether machines are capable of empathy. I call it the ‘Kamski Test’, it’s very simple you’ll see…” He explains.

 

Kamski then turns to Chloe, and marvels at her beauty, “magnificent, isn’t it. One of the first intelligent models developed by CyberLife,” he reaches to grab her face gently, as if touching a lover, “young… and beautiful forever. A flower that will never wither. But what is it really? Just a piece of plastic imitating a human?” Kamski lets go of her face, and walks up to a drawer, and grabs one item out of it.

 

Hank and Cole break a sweat when they see what he brought out.

 

“Or a living being… With a soul.”

 

Kamski held the gun with a gentle poise as if he were holding a family heirloom. It’s unsettling the way he pushes the android girl down to her knees, a toy in Kamski’s sick game. It makes the two other humans present want to vomit. Connor is staring at Kamski’s actions like a hawk, and does nothing when the man presses the gun into Connor’s hand and directs it at the android girl,

 

“It’s up to you to answer that fascinating question, Connor.” Kamski glances at the android on her knees, and then at the Lieutenant and particularly his son.

 

Cole looks frightened…

 

“Destroy this machine, and I’ll tell you all I know. Or spare it, if you feel it’s alive… But you’ll leave here, without having learnt anything from me…”

 

He can’t take it anymore. Cole tries to run to Connor, but his father restrains him, “Jesus Cole, calm down!”

 

“Wait! No, Connor, don’t listen to him! Please don’t kill her!” Cole pleads, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. She didn’t do anything wrong… She doesn’t deserve to die…

 

Connor glances at Cole, his expression unreadable. Kamski notices the way Connor’s LED blinks, and smiles ruefully, “How very interesting… This boy… He seems to have formed an attachment to you, Connor. And you him…”

 

“Alright, we’re done here, come on Connor we’re getting the hell out of here!” Hank says firmly, holding his son tight.

 

“What’s more important to you Connor? You’re investigation, or the life of this android? Or perhaps… Your relationship with the Lieutenant and his son?” Kamski points to them, and that seems to rouse an interesting reaction from the android.

 

“Dad we have to do something! We can’t let that girl die!” Cole snaps, his face red with anger at the trillionaire who kept manipulating Connor.

 

Kamski lets go of Connor’s arm and lets the android decide for himself what to do, “Decide who you are. An obedient machine… Or a living being…endowed with free will.”

 

“That’s enough, Connor, we’re leaving!” Hank growls, tempted to let his son go so he can maim him.

 

“Pull the trigger,”

 

“NO! Connor, DON’T!” Hank snarls and glares harshly at Kamski.

 

“and I’ll tell you what you wanna know.” Kamski finishes and watches Connor intently.

 

Connor’s processor whirs uncontrollably as he stares at the Chloe model on her knees.

 

Her… not it. Connor doesn’t know what to do. He wants to complete his mission, he  _will_  complete his mission... But…

 

“Connor! Remember when you saved dad from the roof when you chased that deviant?! Remember how you chose my dad’s life over the mission?! I know you are more than what they say,  _I’ve seen it._ Please… Don’t prove me wrong!” Cole rasps, doing anything and everything to get him to change his mind.

 

Connor’s arm is shaking. He has a mission to complete. It doesn’t matter what he wants, the mission is all that matters.

 

“What about that time in the park..? You showed me your coin tricks, and we had so much fun… Connor, I know you’re not a murderer. You don’t have to kill her, we can find information another way…  _Please.”_

 

The gun clicks, and his finger moves to the trigger…

 

“IF YOU SHOOT HER I’LL HATE YOU FOREVER.” Cole all but screams, and that makes Connor look straight at the boy. The android’s LED is a solid red.

 

Cole looks determined, yet heartbroken. He’s not crying but he looks like he’s about to.

 

The room goes silent. Connor quickly lowers the gun, and hands it back to Kamski.

He can’t do it… He can’t stand the thought of Cole hating him. He made a promise to never make him cry again, and he has to keep it… He just has to…

 

“Fascinating…CyberLife’s last chance to save humanity… Is itself a deviant,” Kamski ponders wondrously, taking the gun from the android.

“I’m… I’m not a deviant!” Connor lies, his voice giving himself away. The LED on his head blinks yellow rapidly.

 

“You preferred to spare a machine rather than accomplish your mission. You saw a living being in this android. You showed empathy. Furthermore,” Kamski helps the Chloe android up from her knees, ordering her away.

 

“You care very deeply about this little boy… So much so that when you saw him, you couldn’t help but listen… As if he were family. Tell me, Connor, when you see the Lieutenant and his son, do you desire what they have? A family?”

 

_A family… A concept Connor could never understand…_

 

Hank lets go of Cole and the little boy runs into Connor, hugging him tightly, “I knew you wouldn’t do it! I just knew it!” Cole cries out joyfully, happiness bubbling over his system. Connor is caught off guard but doesn’t hug him back. Kamski grins at this display of affection before he continues, “A war is coming. You’ll have to choose your side,”

 

Cole lets go of Connor and faces Kamski, a nasty look on his face. How dare this man give Connor the option to kill that girl. How dare him…

 

“Will you betray your own people or stand up against your creators? What can be worse than having to choose between two evils?” The enigmatic man sighs, turning towards the window.

 

Hank grabs Connor and Cole’s shoulder and forces them to follow him, “let's get outta’ here.” He says gruffly as the three head off to leave.

 

Before Connor leaves the room, Kamski voice rings from the other side,

 

“By the way! I always leave an emergency exit in my programs. You never know…” he says cryptically, before the android leaves.

 

When all three get outside, Cole runs off happily into the car so that he doesn’t have to deal with the freezing cold. Connor is about to follow suit until Hank interrupts him.

 

“Why didn’t you shoot?” He asks seriously. Connor hesitates, and looks at the direction of the car, “When I saw Cole’s eyes… I couldn’t. That’s all!” Connor says defensively, his processor going haywire at the whirlwind of decisions he just made.

 

“You’re always saying you would do anything to accomplish your mission. That was our chance to learn something and you let my son’s judgment influence you,”

 

“Yeah, I know what I should’ve done! I told you I couldn’t. I’m sorry! Okay?” Connor says emotionally, his big brown eyes shining with empathy.

 

Hank smiles gently before placing a hand on Connor’s shoulder.

 

“Maybe you did the right thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I just wanted to add a quick note here. I want you all to know, that it really means a lot to me when you give me kudos and comments on this fanfic. 
> 
> To be honest, when I first started this story, I didn’t think it would get as popular as it did, so from the bottom of my heart... Thank you. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are the reason why I keep writing for you guys, and we reached 600 kudos! That’s insane to me. If you guys really like what I put out, I will continue to bring you guys the best content I can because I love writing this story, and it means the world to me to get feedback and love for it. Anyways, I gotta start the next chapter, but I will see you all soon. :)


	11. Drastic Measures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank makes a sacrifice, Connor is feeling the pressure, and Cole will do anything to make sure Connor doesn't get sent away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii I'm not dead! :D Okay in all seriousness, I realize this chapter is late as fuck. Unfortunately, I've been going through some personal things that kept me from updating chapter 11, (not to mention chapter 11 was an absolute nightmare to write,) and I've been lacking motivation due to stress, but I promise things will definitely pick up from here. Its possible chapters may be shorter now that this story is wrapping up like a nice Christmas present. xD 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and get ready folks!
> 
> Things are gonna get dark.

November 9th, 2038

4:13 PM

Zen Garden

 

 

The garden is no longer hospitable and warm as it once was. The original Connor’s grave is being buried by the immense amount of snow that the garden now simulates. His replacement stands over the grave, with sullen eyes and the android’s thirium pump beating irregularly since this morning.

 

He couldn’t face Amanda; not with the actions he committed (or didn’t commit) earlier on. Connor doesn’t regret his decision to spare the Chloe model, but he wasn’t looking forward to his handler’s reaction either.

 

Connor makes a breathless sigh, a humanistic action but fitting for how he currently felt. Staring at Connor 51’s grave isn’t going to magically stop his inevitable interaction with the bitter and cold AI. With great difficulty, he forces his legs to walk away from the lone grave, walking briskly towards the lake that has now frozen over.

 

It’s oddly fitting in a way… The more Connor realizes this place is as false as his handler’s kind personality, the colder this place seems to feel. Before he set his foot on the foggy ice of the frozen lake, Connor catches sight of an odd mechanism he failed to notice before. It’s quite large, boasting a large platform that is fit for an android’s hand to be placed there.

 

Connor makes his way over to the device out of curiosity, wondering why he’s never seen it before. It glows a thirium blue, shining as bright as a screen, and it seems as if the machine calls to him.

 

Experimentally, the android retracts his synthetic skin and hovers his hand over the platform. Immediately, there is a reaction. The machine pulses with energy, and the energy _burns._ The power emulating the device nearly overwhelms the android with the slightest hint of a touch.

 

Connor gasps, quickly retreating his hand from the device, and watches as the synthetic skin coats his plastic hand once more. Connor curses himself for being a curious bastard, and all but skits away from the device. No more avoidance! Whether he likes it or not, he must speak with Amanda.

 

_“She showed me some concepts of top-secret information about a project called ‘brain uploading?’ I don’t know exactly what it’s called but Tammy thinks Amanda may have been part of a secret experiment to upload her consciousness into an AI! It sounds too crazy to be true…”_

 

Cole’s voice rings out in Connor’s mind palace, reminding him of the crucial information he held. Being a detective model, it wasn’t difficult to grasp the basics of how and why Cole knew some of these things. The Internet can be a very resourceful place for information, but to see full-length concepts of CyberLife issued experiments? That’s a cause for immediate termination of a CyberLife employee’s job… Or worse.

 

The boy mentioned gaining the concepts from a friend.

 

Tammy. Most likely a nickname, but it’s a start. Connor makes a mental note to urge the child to delete those concepts when he has a chance.

 

How did attain such confidential information? Why did that girl send it to him in the first place? All these questions and more make the android feel uneasy.

 

A determined look crosses the android’s features as he walks towards Amanda. That woman has a lot of explaining to do. Without any more hesitation in his steps, the RK800 model finally stands a mere five feet away from the mysterious AI, mind warped with more questions then answers for the malicious being. What more could he say that she didn’t already know? Before he has a chance to open his mouth, Amanda cuts in with a tone as sharp as cold ice.

 

“After what happened today, the country is on the verge to civil war. These _machines_ are rising up against their masters,” she starts off, inching closer to the android every time her tone cuts deep. Connor maintains eye contact, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult.

 

“At this point, humans have no choice but to destroy them,” she muses on, allowing the android a bit of reprieve to respond to her assessment.

 

“I… I thought Kamski knew something, but his information came at a price-!”

 

“A price you weren’t willing to pay if I remember correctly,” Amanda condemns in a cold voice, knowing full well why he failed again.

 

Connor chooses to stay silent at that and glares at the AI. She’s right. He should have killed the android… But…

 

_‘IF YOU SHOOT HER I’LL HATE YOU FOREVER!’_

It would have been impossible…

 

Connor’s thoughts trace back to the photo. Amanda Stern had been Kamski’s professor, but after her unexplained death, he just left… Cole’s theory did offer some insight into what might have happened, but there was only one way to know for sure.

 

“I saw a photo of Amanda at Kamski’s place. _She was his teacher_ ,” He seethes, tone demanding for the answers she refused to give.

 

The mention of Amanda Stern seems to have stirred a reaction to the AI, and if looks could kill, this whole reality would perish.

 

“When Kamski designed me he wanted an interface that would look familiar. That’s why he chose his former mentor, _what are you getting at_?” She replies with venom.

 

“Cole offered some really interesting information about her. It’s no secret her death is a cold case, yet he mentioned getting concepts of a top secret project she was involved in... Now tell me, Amanda, what do you say to that? Is it true? What happened that day?!” He yells, stepping closer to intimidate the AI.

 

Amanda scoffs and walks away from the android to pace on the digital ice.

 

“Now Connor… Surely you are smart enough to realize you can’t trust everything that child tells you… How can you be so sure he isn’t lying?” She smiles coyly, not surprised at all to see her comment only angers him more.

_“Cole would never lie to me.”_

 

“I find that incredibly hard to believe.”

 

“Enough of this! Why did Kamski leave CyberLife? What happened to Amanda that made Kamski want to leave?”

 

Amanda is getting annoyed at Connor’s game of twenty questions, and sighs, “That’s an old story, Connor. I fail to see how that pertains to your investigation!” She barks.

 

Amanda faces Connor again, and her look is no longer filled with the fake warmth she once had. Her resolve is as cold and bitter as the garden they stand on.

 

“I expect you to find answers, Connor. Not ask questions.”

 

Connor knew she’d say something like that, and his expression turns emotional. Amanda continues to question the android.

 

“Have you experienced anything unusual recently? Any doubts or conflicts? Do you feel anything for these deviants… Or perhaps, Lieutenant Anderson and his son?” She asks softly, though her expression remains neutral.

 

Connor stays silent, but his expression reveals more truths then he knows. He stares at the floor, and then at Amanda with pleading eyes. Human-like eyes.

 

** SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^ **

 

Amanda’s eyes shine with a cutthroat glare as the android speaks,

 

“I’ve started to have thoughts that are not a part of my program… I’ve considered the possibility… that I might be compromised.” Connor answers sincerely, knowing deep down that he wants things, and cares for others…

 

Amanda’s expression flips like a switch, and she’s no longer the heartless AI she made herself out to be, but a sympathetic mother figure. Connor knows it’s all manipulation, but says nothing.

 

“You’ve been confronted with difficult situations! It’s no surprise you’re troubled… That doesn’t make you a deviant,” She insists in an earnest tone. She walks towards Connor and places a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Hank and Cole Anderson are good people. You are fascinated by their human empathy, and you cannot comprehend such emotions. As sad as it is… You’ll never have what they have. No matter how many times you tell yourself otherwise, you are meant to be a killer. A killer whose only purpose is the mission. Never forget that, Connor…”

 

Amanda’s hand lifts from Connor’s shoulder, and she walks off into the snowy mist.

 

The android stands alone on the frozen lake, alone to his thoughts. He doesn’t like this place. Not anymore.

 

* * *

 

 

4:23 PM

Detroit Police Department

 

Of all the horrible things that could go wrong in this investigation, Hank never truly anticipated this scenario to take place. He feels like the whole world is against him, constantly finding himself with shit for luck. The Lieutenant should have guessed his luck would run out for the deviant case as well.

 

“The FBI is taking over. You’re off the case,” Captain Fowler deadpanned with a defeated tone. Hank didn’t make any objections, despite the fact he was ready to argue with his longtime friend for another seventy-two hours. Hank looks over at Connor, who only recently exited out of his stasis mode to listen in on their conversation, and then he turns back to the Captain with a desperate glare.

 

“Jeffrey, I know what you’re gonna say, but goddamnit we just need more time! We can still solve this-!”

 

“Hank! You don’t get it. This isn’t just some other investigation; it’s a fucking civil war! It’s out of our hands now... We’re talking about national security here!”

 

“Fuck that! You can’t just pull the plug now, not when we’re so close!”

 

“Hank this whole week you’ve been unprofessional, coarse, angry and quite frankly, I don’t see why you care so much anyways! I thought you hate androids, I thought you’d be happy about this!”

 

Hank narrows his eyes angrily, “We’re about to crack the case! For fucks’ sake, Jeffrey can’t you back me up this one time?!”

 

Fowler sighs, palming his face in frustration, “Hank… I’ve been backing up your ass for three years. Ever since Heather died, I’ve overlooked most of you’re disciplinary folders. I have even spared you the afternoons so you can take care of Cole. If I could do anything to help you now, I would. But there is nothing I can do,” Fowler explains genuinely, the most sincere he’s been with Hank in a long time.

 

Hank’s expression changes at his friend’s sincerity, and he feels shameful. Fowler knows how much she meant to him, and how much he would do everything and more for his son’s sake, but even that couldn’t save him now.

 

“You’ll be back on homicide, and the android returns to CyberLife. I’m sorry Hank, but it’s over…” Fowler finishes, prompting the Lieutenant to leave the office in pure defeat and bottled up frustration. Connor follows suit, like a lost puppy.

 

Meanwhile, Cole is waiting at his father’s desk, sitting in the same chair he sat in a few days ago when he came to the station to meet Connor. The younger male is too anxious to play with his Nintendo Switch, so he settled for fiddling with the toy car he got from Rupert again. The fact that he doesn’t know exactly why and how Rupert got him such a cool gift had and has been nagging at his mind for a few days now, but that doesn’t make him any less grateful.

 

The boy’s never received any gifts from anyone else but his father, so he’s inclined to be suspicious of kind gestures like this. Cole shakes his head at his tendency to overthink things.

 

‘I’m being stupid; it’s just a toy car! I mean, yeah it’s weird that he gave it to me even though he only knew me for a short time, but why should I question it?’ Cole chastises to himself mentally. He’s about to put the toy away until something unusual catches his eye. A tiny, barely noticeable, button is hidden under the toy car.

 

He hadn’t noticed it before, most likely since it’s so well hidden. Cole hurriedly fumbles in his backpack to find a skinny sharp object. The child smiles triumphantly when he finds exactly what he needs.

 

A paperclip.

 

After folding the tiny piece of metal into a straight rod-like tool, he presses the metal into the button hidden under the toy car.

 

_SNAP._

 

Cole jumps when a small object shoots out of the toy, sticking out at the end of the car. It’s a thumb drive.

 

Cole takes out the strange device from the toy and inspects it with careful precision.

“Rupert you son of a bitch…” Cole whispers breathlessly, a confused smile on his face. Whatever Rupert entrusted him with, it must be important. The boy hurriedly pockets the thumb drive quickly when he sees Connor and Hank exit from Fowler’s office. He stands up in anticipation,

 

“Well? What’s gonna happen to Connor? Is he going to be okay?” Cole bombards eagerly, not wanting one of his only friends to go away. Hank doesn’t reply and simply sits on his desk, frustration emanating from his being. His son sighs disheartened; guessing it probably didn’t go well for the two. Connor sits on top of Hank’s desk, just as frustrated as the other two.

 

“We can’t just give up like that. I know we could have solved this case!” Connor says in a frustrated tone.

 

Cole desperately wants to scream at Connor and tell him _he has the answer_ but refrains from doing so. If his father knew what he had, there’s a chance he wouldn’t let him go with him to the evidence room.

 

Hank sighs dejectedly, eyes downcast and shadowed. Connor’s really leaving, isn’t he? And he can’t do anything about it. Just when the older man was beginning to grow attached to this damn android as well. What horribly shitty timing.

 

“So you’re goin’ back to CyberLife? Leavin’ me and my son after all the shit we went through?” Hank bites bitterly, defeat and sullen. Connor is taken aback by Hank’s regretful tone, yet he too cannot begin to describe the disappointment that radiated from his very own being.

 

Is this what it feels like to feel helpless?

 

Connor isn’t programmed to fail, so the thought of facing Amanda in his current state is incredibly mortifying.

 

_I failed…_

The android nearly shuts down emotionally, saying, “I have no choice...” regret filling to the brim.

Cole gasps softly at the notion of Connor really leaving and grabs his arm softly.

 

Connor turns to look at Cole’s horror-stricken face and his thirium pump nearly stops before continuing, “I’ll be… Deactivated and analyzed to find out why I failed.”

 

The Lieutenant narrows his eyes deep in thought, and a sudden realization hits him like a train wreck.

 

Cole is right.

 

Why are they even doing this?

 

The androids he had the pleasure of encountering showed far more human emotion than he or anyone expected. Hell, even Connor showed empathy. There’s no other excuse. This isn’t a game anymore. Androids _are_ alive.

 

“What if we’re on the wrong side, Connor? What if we’re fighting against people who just wanna be free?” Hank presses, leaning forward from his desk, “What if Cole was right to help those deviants?”

 

Cole’s eyes widen in shock at what his father says not expecting him to say that,

 

“Y-You knew..?”

 

Hank sighs and smiles tiredly at his son, almost wanting to laugh at his comically shocked expression, “How long did you think you could keep it a secret son? I knew the moment you defended that android back at the Urban Farms Apartment. I’m a detective, remember?” He says lightly, despite the gloomy seriousness of the conversation.

 

Connor’s LED whirs a steady yellow, his hardware’s stress levels increasing by the minute.

 

He _wants_ to agree with Hank.

 

He _wants_ to believe he’s alive. That he could be happy.

 

_Hewantshewantshewants._

His LED turns an angry red.

 

“When the deviants rise up, there will be chaos! I can’t just… I can’t just let that happen, Hank! If I wasn’t so selfish… If I didn’t _want_ things… If I had just _stayed a machine_ , we could have stopped it… I could have stopped it. But now it’s too late…” Connor struggles to keep his diplomatic composure, the LED still red.

 

“Connor…” Cole whispers, hand still grasped firmly on the android's arm, as if to say that it’s going to be okay. It’s not too late.

 

“When you refused to kill that android at Kamski’s place… You looked into Cole’s eyes and couldn’t do it. The very thought of making him cry; it made you change priorities. You…allowed yourself to be put in that android’s shoes. You showed empathy, Connor. Empathy is a human emotion.” Hank deduces, noticing the android shift eyes to the child, then back at him.

 

“I don’t know why I did it…” He says in a troubled tone, his software instability conflicting with his processor. Connor takes a moment to glance at the Lieutenant with his doe-like eyes, before continuing his train of thought,

 

“I’m not programmed to say things like this, but I really appreciated working with you. Both of you. With a little more time… We may have become friends,” Connor expresses with sincere honesty. While touching, the moment is interrupted by the unpleasant sight of Agent Richard Perkins striding his way to the Captain’s office. Cole’s eyes shift uncomfortably at the sight of him as if he radiated a negative energy.

 

“Who’s that guy?” he asks, voice cracking with a hint of hesitance. Hank growls angrily at the shit-faced FBI agent, and wants to wipe his stupid smirk off his face,

 

“Well, well if it isn’t Perkins that motherfucker, sure don’t waste time at the FBI,” he grumbles dejectedly, not at all wanting to fail at solving the case. Connor glances at Perkins with narrowed eyes before looking at his two friends seriously,

 

“We can’t just give up! I know the answers in the evidence we collected, If Perkins takes it, it’s all over!” Connor says with urgent plea.

 

“I’m with Connor! We can’t give up, I think I can help too, dad, you just have to trust me!” Cole begs with his big bright blue puppy eyes, hoping to get through to his father.

 

“Cole, Connor… You heard Fowler-”

 

“If I don’t solve this case, CyberLife will destroy me! Five minutes, that’s all I ask,” Connor insists, and it seems to get through to the older man because he stands up.

 

“Key to my basement is on my desk… Cole, stay here.”

 

 

“Dad, I have something that can help, but you have to let me go there!” Cole pleads eagerly.

 

“No way in hell, Cole. That’s forbidden information, you could get arrested!” Hank yells, knowing full well his son only wanted to help, but Cole is too involved as it is. He won’t risk his son’s future for the android.

 

Hurt by his father’s lack of trust, the boy slumps back in his chair with a pout, looking at Connor with his puppy-eyed expression. Connor is tempted but inclined to agree with his father.

 

“I’m sorry Cole, but it may be in your best interest that you stay with your father. I don’t want you to get in trouble,” Connor scolds gently, his heart breaking when he sees the child deflate with an annoyed expression.

 

“Connor, please!”

 

“Cole, that’s enough, you’re staying here and that’s final!” Hank grumbles, just as annoyed as his kid.

 

The younger boy stares at his father with sad eyes and nods obediently, but internally he’s already coming up with 12 different ways to leave from his father’s line of sight. Cole has no choice. He’s going to have to sneak away while his father’s not paying attention.

 

Satisfied with his son’s compliance, Hank walks towards Agent Perkins and points at Connor and Cole’s direction “Do not do what I am about to do _EVER_ , got it, son?”

 

“Got it,” Cole replies monotonously with a wince.

 

Before Connor has a chance to shield the poor boy’s eyes from the incoming violence, Hank throws a sucker punch towards Perkin’s once not-so-broken nose.

 

“Perkins you motherfuckin’ cocksucker!” Hank screams angrily, causing a scene in hopes that Connor could head to the evidence room. However, Connor couldn’t help but stare with an expression of pure perplexing dumbfoundedness when Hank continues to fight the man, beating him up to a bloody pulp.

 

“Yikes! That’s a little excessive even for dad… ” Cole winces, face scrunched up full of cringe. He’ll never be able to live this down, but right now there are more pressing matters to focus on.

 

Connor is shaken from his distraction and walks briskly towards the evidence room, leaving Cole behind.

 

‘Ughhh stupid adults won’t fucking listen to me when I fucking have what Connor needs _right here_ ,’ Cole curses mentally, and sighs. He’ll have to do this the hard way then.

 

With clear determination in his programming, Connor heads to the entrance of evidence room with the key card already in his hand. It wouldn’t be difficult to gain access to the room now that he has the aid of Hank’s key card, but he’s still under a strict time limit. Connor cannot afford to waste any more time, he needs to find a connection that leads to where the deviants are hiding.

 

“Hey Connor!” a young man’s voice belts out across the hall.

 

Shit.

 

Gavin Reed walks towards the android with a hostile glare dead set on the android.

Connor tries to ignore him, but the android doesn’t move from his spot, even though he thought maybe he should just enter the room. The bottom line is that if Gavin suspected something even remotely unusual, he could notify Fowler within minutes. It’s better not to risk it.

 

“I’m talking to you, asshole! Where are you going? We don’t need any more plastic pricks around here,” Gavin seethes angrily, in a mocking tone. If Connor wasn’t so patient, he would have groaned out loud like an annoyed teenager. Thankfully, he keeps his composure under wraps as he faces the man.

 

“I’m going to register the evidence in my possession and then I’m going to leave,” he says confidently, without showing any hint of fear or emotion.

 

“Good... But be careful on your way back. Androids have a tendency of getting themselves set on fire these days.” Gavin clicks his tongue before leaving the android, muttering the word ‘prick,’ along the way.

 

Gavin opened the door leading to the evidence room, only to find the Lieutenant’s child by the door with an adorably determined expression.

 

“Well, I certainly didn’t expect to see you again, you fuckin’ pipsqueak. I’m assuming you’re not blocking my way just to get on my last fucking nerve,” Gavin sneers, but Cole doesn’t flinch from his biting words.

 

“I need your key card.” Cole bit out, feeling bigger than he actually is. The rugged detective looks at the child like he grew a second and third head, and belts out a mean laugh. Cole isn’t amused and raises his eyebrow as the detective is heaving out a laugh like he heard the funniest joke in his life.

 

“Wow kid, I haven’t heard a joke that funny since the Vine Era! Okay, I’ll humor you. Why, pray tell, would I ever want to lend you something only adults play with? Your daddy isn’t here to let you have your way this time kid, not after he was dragged away like the failure he is!” Gavin mocks. Cole scowls at the insult directed at his father, but he keeps his composure.

 

After all, he’s the one with the receipts.

 

Cole pulls out a few choice items from his pocket, and as soon as Gavin sees it, he stops laughing abruptly. It’s three photos that are usually kept under lock and key inside a drawer in the detective’s desk. In addition to the photos, the child has a personal document he got from the man’s accordion folder in Fowler’s office when he snuck in a mere seconds ago. When he catches sight of the document, Gavin’s expression immediately changes, and now he’s glaring seriously at the child,

 

“Kid, where the fuck did you get those?”

 

“Does it matter? What matters now is that I have them, and if you try to get them from me, I will scream. It’ll be a real shame if these photos get leaked out, won’t it Gavin? Let alone this very interesting document I have. Not only will your life change, but you’d also have to rebuild what you tried so hard to maintain. I’m honestly not surprised though. It explains so much; why you’re such an ass to everyone,”

 

“Fuck! Are you actually trying to blackmail me?!”

 

“No. I’m simply a kid who wants to play police for five minutes. You can help me with that.”

 

Gavin seriously thought about it for a moment and looked around to see if anyone’s paying attention. People all over the precinct surround the two, so making a scene is out of the question.

 

“I gotta hand it to ya kid. You got balls of steel for thinking you can threaten me like that. You’re not doin’ anything illegal, are you?” Gavin questions, feeling uneased by the boy now.

 

“No way! Like I said; I just want to play police. Come on Gavi, it’s the least you can do after what you did this weekend. Oh? Did I mention I would report your stupid ass if you don’t help me too?” Cole decides to rub more salt on the man’s wounded ego, causing the man to shush the child. They are smack dab in the middle of the room, where there are many policemen present.

 

If life were a Bethesda game, Cole’s speech/charisma skill would have leveled up exponentially.

 

“Shhh! Fuck, okay okay fine! What the fuck do you want?!” Gavin whispers angrily, and already some police are glancing at their direction. Cole almost breaks a sweat when they start staring but remains calm. As long it looks like they’re not talking about anything too important, they won’t draw attention.

 

“Give. Me. The. Keycard. Then I’ll hand you back these oh so important personal things I found.” Cole demands firmly, holding his hand out for the card.

Gavin hesitates for a moment, but with his reputation and future on the line, he has no other option. Even he wasn’t that stupid. Gavin hands the boy his key card, and in turn, Cole hands him the items he ~~stole~~ obtained.

 

“If you get me fired, you’re dead.” Gavin mumbles, full of rage.

 

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Gavin. Now get the hell out of here before I scream bloody murder.” Cole bites back before Gavin walks away, pride wounded and muttering curses.

* * *

 

_3 Minutes Before Perkins Arrives._

 

Connor is completely and utterly stumped. The android back at the Strafford Tower was too damaged and far beyond repair for reactivation since he shot him in his head, so he couldn’t interrogate him. To make matters worse, when he interrogated the PL600 Daniel, he didn’t know anything about where the deviants could be hiding. Connor honestly feels like giving up at this point, but he wouldn’t dare leave now. Not when he’s so close.

 

Suddenly, he heard an automated door open and to his complete shock, Cole enters the room, with a look that says ‘I can’t believe I actually got here.’ Connor hurries his way over to Cole, concerned for the child’s safety,

 

“Cole, what are you doing here, where’s your father?” Connor stresses, grabbing the child’s shoulders.

 

“Dad’s been kicked out, and probably arrested. I haven’t heard from him since they dragged him away, but I’m sure he’s fine. But that’s not why I’m here, I have something for you!” Cole beams, digging in his hoodie pocket and takes out the notorious thumb drive he found inside Rupert’s gift. Connor eyes the thumb drive curiously, before taking it from Cole’s palm. It’s green in color, and it seems unassuming enough. A name brand flash drive.

 

“Cole, what is this?” Connor asks, caution in his tone.

 

“I don’t know. But Rupert gave it to me, the android from the Urban Farms Apartment! I can’t go into too many details on why and when he gave it to me, but I can tell you that he trusted me enough to give this to me. Maybe it means something..?” Cole ponders, not having a clue what could be inside.

 

Connor took the flash drive to the central computer and plugged it into a USB port. The computer whirs with life, and suddenly the computer begins to overheat and glitch. The two gasp when multiple images of coding and writing filled the screens along with a voice recording playing in the background,

 

_“Cole Anderson. If you found this flash drive in the gift I gave you, then things are going according to plan. I know this may be a bit overwhelming for you, but I didn’t know how else to help. I know you’re not like the others, I saw it in the way you looked at me. That’s why I gave this to you. You care for our people. You do want to help, and I appreciate it._

_Now it’s my turn to help you. In this flash drive, my location’s coordinates and directions are within the files given. If you truly want to help our people, then you know what you must do. Give this flash drive to another deviant in need. They will find help in a place called Jericho, and by doing this, you can make a difference._

_You may be only a child, but you show far more maturity and compassion than any of the humans I had the displeasure of encountering. You gave me the hope I lost for humanity, and if our interaction was anything to go by, I know you will make the right choice._

_Good luck, and I’ll be sure to put in a good word for you in Jericho if you ever decide to visit once the revolution is over._

_Thank you,_

_Rupert Travis,”_

The voice message stopped and instantly the files and coordinates became visible on the screen again. Connor’s LED is a blinking yellow as he stares off in space, trying his best to take in the spur of information he just received. Cole’s mouth hangs comically after the voice message finishes, but he quickly regains composure,

 

“Uhm… Wow. That’s awesome! Now you can go to Jericho since you’re a deviant now!” Cole says excitedly, but Connor doesn’t reflect the same excitement. Instead, he feels nothing but dread.

 

Connor doesn’t make any remarks on the child’s comment about being deviant and decides to ignore it. He has a lot on his mind as it is. The android retracts the synthetic skin from his plastic hand and places it on the platform, downloading the information to his hardware.

 

DOWNLOADING CONTENTS OF

AB67 SONY FLASH DRIVE….

 

MODEL RK800

PROTOTYPE MODEL- CYBERLIFE ISSUED

 

INITIALIZING……

 

**DOWNLOAD COMPLETE.**

Connor retracts his hand and turns towards Cole,

 

“I know where Jericho is. I have to go.” Connor says bluntly, but it’s mostly out of nerves than anything.

 

The child smiles and runs towards the entrance, probing Connor to follow him, “Well don’t just stand there, come on! You can’t go to Jericho looking like that!”

 

Connor and Cole sneak past the policemen and women, and immediately Cole uses Gavin’s key card to gain access to his locker room.

 

Inside Gavin’s locker is his spare clothing: a black beanie, a brown jacket, a black T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

 

“How did you manage to gain access to Detective Reed’s key card?”

 

“Uhhh let's just say I’m very persuasive,”

 

“Detective Reed harassed you a few days ago, I highly doubt you would have managed to convince him after an event like that,” Connor noted.

 

The child sighs, “look, there’s no time to be asking questions! You need to go change into this outfit. Don’t worry, the smell of alcohol and smoke should make you less suspicious,” he jokes as he hands Connor the clothing.

 

Connor walks into one of the shower stalls to change while Cole looks away. Even androids need privacy, and Connor is no exception. Once Connor is finished getting dressed, Cole turns towards Connor’s direction.

 

Cole stifles a laugh. Connor looks incredibly different without his suit, it’s almost unnatural. Connor frowns at the boy’s reaction, “What? Do I really look that different?”

 

“Kinda! I mean dude, you look like a wolf that tried to put on a sheep costume. It’s okay though, it does the job! Just. Like. Fix your posture, you look like a stick man when you stand so straight.”

 

Connor decides to take that advice to heart and loosens up. He looks even worse! He slumps down his shoulders and spreads his legs apart like he’s about to jump someone. Cole chuckles at Connor’s attempts to look deviant.

 

“Okay, now that’s called _too loose_! Connor, just stand normally, but not… You know what? Forget it, you’re fine,” the boy gives up once the android starts making an array of weird postures.

 

The android sent by CyberLife, everyone.

 

Connor walks up to the child and kneels down to his level,

 

“I’m not entirely sure what will happen to me once I go to Jericho, but I want you to know I appreciate everything you and the Lieutenant have done for me. This may be goodbye…” he says sadly.

 

Cole frowns due to worry, “Will you be okay? I know you’re like the real-life equivalent of The Terminator or something, but…”

 

“Don’t worry about me, Cole. You need to go back to your father. Thank you for bringing me the flash drive, you may have saved my life just now,” Connor smiles, cracks of his deviancy showing through.

 

Without warning, Cole hugs Connor again for the second time, but this time he hugs back gently, “Please don’t die! I don’t want to lose a friend…” Cole says in a pained and worrisome tone.

 

“Don’t worry, Cole. I promise I’ll do my best to come back for you. Both of you.”

 

* * *

 

 

9:59 PM

CyberLife Tower

 

The sterilized walls of the quiet room are bright and blinding, similar to that of a hospital room. Layers upon layers of documents, paperwork, contracts, and reports are scattered all over a mahogany colored desk. Against the desk is an older woman, slumped over and stressing about the constant work she’s been bombarded with for over the last few hours. The deviant revolution has been stressing the CyberLife employees to no end, especially since her boss Mr. Graff has been pressuring her to get all the reports and coding finished and ready so the new RK models can be tested.

 

Her sweaty palms cup her face tiredly. She hasn’t had much sleep since the events that took place, and barely saw her family anymore. The woman glances at a photo on her desk and smiles lovingly. Her goofy husband and adoring daughter, and her mischievous twin sons smile widely at the camera, and it feels like forever since she’s seen them. How long has it been, truly? She doesn’t know.

 

When you are a cog in one giant overcomplicated machine, you begin to lose the sense of time.

 

The woman’s thoughts are interrupted when the door to her office opens. “Doctor Wilson. Mr. Graff has requested your presence by name. He says it’s urgent.” A CY600 informs, waiting expectantly by the door.

 

Doctor Wilson sighs and immediately downs the rest of her coffee.

 

“I’ll be right there,” she sighs, annoyed that her boss kept interrupting her work for ‘so-called’ urgent meetings. What could be so damn important? Wilson wants nothing more than to go home already and collapse on her bed, but alas, CyberLife duty calls.

 

* * *

 

MODEL RK800

SERIAL #313-248-317-60

RK PROTOTYPE SERIES-CYBERLIFE ISSUED

 

BOOTING UP…..

 

LOADING OS….

LOADING ESSENTIAL BIOCOMPONENTS….

 

** BOOT UP COMPLETE. **

 

Brown eyes open after the android is out of stasis. The android looks disinterested and numb to its surroundings as if a command has not been given yet for the android to act.

 

“RK800. Connor. Are all your new updates completed?” Amanda asks pleasantly as if she were having a conversation in passing.

 

“All my updates have been completed. My operating system is fully operational, and I am ready for use.”

 

“That’s so good to hear. It’s quite unfortunate that your predecessor couldn’t accomplish his mission. I know you will not make the same mistake, will you?” Amanda smiles, pleased to have a new willing minion for her plans.

 

The Connor model smiles back, all too eager to please his master, “Of course, Amanda. I have passed all the qualifications to ensure my software does not become unstable. But you are quite aware of that,”

 

“Indeed I am. I have a task for you, but I must consult with my former apprentice for a moment first if you do not mind,”

 

RK800-60 doesn’t question his handler and nods obediently. Amanda smirks, all too pleased with this RK model, for out of all the other series models, this Connor 60 was the only one who was willing to do even the most morally questionable things to accomplish his mission. He’s almost perfect. _Almost_.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Doctor Wilson and Jason Graff walk to CyberLife’s main meeting room in an awkward silence. Graff looks extremely uncomfortable and nervous, and Doctor Wilson has been trying to probe what little information her boss could provide, but with no luck.

 

“Jason, what’s the meaning of this? Why does Amanda want me at this moment and time, has there been a breach?” She questions, not knowing any other reason why she’d be summoned by the android.

 

Jason swallows nervously and looks directly at the woman. He looks genuinely afraid. “Dana, this isn’t about programs or coding… This is…” Graff has to stop himself, not willing to tell her what’s on his mind. He’s been so resigned since yesterday, it’s almost like he’s afraid of something. Or someone.

 

Doctor Wilson internally groans when he doesn’t give her a straight answer. ‘What’s the big fucking deal?’ she wants to ask, the curiosity nearly eating away at her.

 

Finally, the two scientists enter the large meeting room, making the individuals feel small in comparison.

 

At the center of the room stood Amanda and an RK800 model, and the former looks pleased that her former student has entered the room.

 

Dana has tried to avoid Amanda as much as possible ever since… That day. Dana clutches the sleeve of her sweater, a nervous tick of hers since she was a child.

 

She feels sullen at the thought.

 

A lot of mistakes were made that day. So many lives ruined. And many secrets had born out of her project.

 

 _Their_ project.

 

She shudders when the android’s eyes pierce towards her direction, and she smiles kindly at the lowly scientist.

 

“Dana, it’s been so long since we’ve had a meeting together,” Amanda says brightly, acting as if she were the same human she once was.

 

“Well, you’ve been busy with our newest line after all!” Dana laughs nervously at that. She’s been avoiding her on purpose.

 

The doctor wouldn’t be surprised if Amanda had taken a few “precautions” when it came to protecting her identity, and remaining unknown to the public. CyberLife goes by it’s own law code: don’t talk about it, and you’ll be fine.

 

Mr. Graff looks at the doctor to his left, and cannot help but wonder what Amanda’s going to do…

 

“All thanks to you of course. You have always been my star pupil after Kamski. With that said, various things have been brought to my attention recently…” Amanda starts, walking down the glass steps of the mainframe.

 

“Oh? What kind of things?” Dana asks naively.

 

Amanda calls the Connor model over to step next to her, and Dana feels something drop in the bottom of her stomach. It’s Connor 60… Nicknamed the Bloodhound here in CyberLife headquarters. He’s meant to be the precursor to RK900, CyberLife’s biggest project yet. She never had the chance to see him up close, but just by looking at him, she could tell he’s every bit the machine people make him out to be.

 

Dana has a bad feeling…

 

“As you know Doctor Wilson, it’s your project that birth our top secret experiment to transfer a human’s consciousness to an android’s body. It’s the reason I am now immortal… Why Elijah is no longer with us at CyberLife,” Amanda pauses to walk slowly towards the woman.

 

Dana’s amber eyes shine with a sudden fear. Why was she bringing that up now..?

 

“You must understand… What you accomplished surpasses what everyone in the world has. It put us on the map, so to speak. It’s such a shame your adorable little girl had to come across such confidential information, and give it to the son of Lieutenant Anderson. Now… You can see why that may be a problem, can you?” Amanda’s smile is gone now, replaced with a pitying look.

 

Dana’s eyes widen like saucers at the mention of her daughter. How did this happen?! She had hidden those files so carefully, not even her own husband knows of them! Jason has to look away from Dana’s shocked and fearful expression. It’s too much to bear, despite the fact he knew it was coming.

 

“If the police… No… If the FBI were to get a hold of this information, especially at the wake of the deviant crisis? No, no, you are smart Dana… You know what we have to do. You indirectly broke our number one rule. It’s such a shame too. You were always my favorite,” She tsked. After having said that, two CyberLife military guards enter the room and hold Dana down so she can’t escape.

 

Jason couldn’t stand it, he just kept looking away.

 

“W-Wait! Amanda please, this has to be a misunderstanding! Tammy would _never-_ ”

 

“Oh Dana, you know she would have. Deep down you knew, you just never thought we’d find out. Didn’t you say she idolizes me? How she spends her days trying to find out what happened to me?”

 

“Leave her out of this, just don’t hurt them! Don’t hurt my family!” Dana begs, her voice breaking.

 

Amanda laughs at that, a cold and cruel sound.

 

“Do not be mistaken, Doctor. We’re not monsters! However, there does need to be some form of punishment… RK800,” Amanda calls, and the machine is already by her side. A willing accomplice.

 

“Yes, Amanda?” He asks eagerly, more than glad to be of use to the android.

 

Amanda hands Connor a pistol that she had been hiding on her back. She motions him to point directly at the woman.

 

“Execute Doctor Wilson.” She orders firmly. Dana knows it’s over for her when those cold words leave Amanda’s mouth. Fighting the guards was one thing, but to face Connor 60 is suicide.

 

Dana shed a few tears, knowing it’d be the last time she could ever do such an action. “I’m sorry Tammy… I’m sorry Mal… I’m…” she whispers to herself in delirious desperation, the lack of sleep finally catching up to her.

 

This had to be a nightmare, this cannot be happening…

 

Doctor Graff couldn’t take it anymore, and he shoots his head to Amanda’s direction,

“Amanda, please! Dana doesn’t deserve-!”

 

“I advise you to choose your next words very carefully, Doctor Graff… I don’t want to have to lose two brilliant scientists today,” Amanda scolds as if she were chastising a child.

 

Connor 60 walks slowly to the trembling scientist in front of him. He nearly sneers when he sees the woman crying, tempted to roll his eyes at her display of human emotion.

 

He points the gun at her tear-stained face, noticing the woman whisper something else before he pulls the trigger.

 

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

 

Blood splatters everywhere. Flecks of human blood dot the android’s face and clothing but he looks indifferent to it all. Pride fills the android’s core, fully satisfied to have completed the mission. This was only the beginning after all… Jason’s expression is one of horror and grief, and he almost has to will himself not to wretch on the spot.

 

“Dana… No….” He collapses on the floor to his knees.

 

Doctor Wilson’s corpse has three bullets. One on the head, one on the heart, and one on one of her lungs. Three essential organs to guarantee death.

 

Amanda grins sadistically at the sight and orders her men to drag Doctor Wilson’s body away.

 

 

 

Ḿ̵̨̨͈̟̤͙͙̮̑̓̚I̶͔͇̜̞̻̔͑̉͋̔̒̍̊͒̋̑̍͌͑ͅŠ̵̡̟͈̦̜͚̯͖͚̤̣̱̙̻̰͛̚͝Ṡ̷̠͉͓̜͖͚̻̱̈́̎Ì̸̧͇͎͈̤̝̖̻͍̜͉̌̈͠Ö̸̧̧͉̹͚̰͇̝̞̼̘̳͖̗́̑͆͝N̵̡̧̢̢̛̟̯̤͔̗̈́̄̎̑̇̋̊͒̎́̍̕͘ ̸̦̲͇̱̦̬̼͕͇̙̟̏̆͑̓͊͝͠Ą̶̛̩͔̻̬̲̬̣̫̭͈̝̻̞́͗͛̎̎̉͋̒͜͝͝͝C̶̫̆̈̓͑́̆͂͌̾̔̅͘̕͠C̸̡̢̨͓͔͚̰̫̤͙̳̰͐͒̐̌̋͂̚͘͝O̸̡̱̖̺̫͕̺͕̲̣̣̜̪̙̍̓͗̀̒͑̊̔͒̈́̍̓͊̀̕M̵̖̱̉͆̀͊̓̌͌̚͝P̷̨̰̥͛͑̓̓̔̀̆̏̊͝͠Ĺ̴̛͕͎͙̫̻̰̾͒̋̄͜͝Ī̴̧͇̤̪̙̫͇̱̹͈͓̯͎̭̅̌̇̏̊̑̎̐̔̕͝͠S̷̗̱̮͚̰͕̳̺̳̬͎̼͒̌͐̈̍̂͊͋̌̎̋ͅH̴̡͖̯͇̩͕͚̞̯̭̬̗̫͈̰̔͐̈́̂̓͝͝͠E̶̢̙̪̤̝͙̻̖͎͋̎͗̓͒̊͊̎̎̔͋̕D̷̨͚̰̮̱̦̝͎̖̺̝͚̿͐̄̓̒̿͛̾̎͛͝͝

 

 

 

“Well done, Connor. I expected nothing less than success from you after all. Now, I have one more task I need you to do.” She steps forward in front of the android.

 

The RK800 model stares with a cold determination, ready to do what is necessary for the betterment of CyberLife’s prosperity.

 

“Bring the Andersons here. Be sure to bring the child especially. Use whatever means you see fit.” She says in a clear concise tone, not leaving anything left to interpretation.

 

Connor 60 strides towards the mainframe’s entrance, passing by a grieving Jason Graff as he leaves the room.

 

He always accomplishes his mission.

 

No matter the cost.


	12. Bloodhound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With his father trapped in a holding cell, Cole is left alone by himself. With no one to protect him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys, this is the chapter I've been most reluctant to post. It's very heavy with dark themes and there's a graphic vomiting scene towards the end, so if you guys are sensitive to that stuff, by all means, skip the last few paragraphs. This is where shit hits the fan guys, so please be prepared. I tagged this with Graphic Depictions of Violence for a reason.

November 11th, 2038

5:43 PM

Detroit Police Department

 

A gruff, aging man sat quietly in his holding cell, silently recounting the events that led him there. He remembers feeling so angry and determined to save his partner that he caused the distraction the android needed in order to find the deviant’s hiding place, yet it came at a price. Now, this would go on Hank’s record, and he’s forced to spend the next 72 hours in a prison cell until he’d be left to go free with charges of assault and actions of misdemeanor. The man sighs as he leans more into his unsurprisingly uncomfortable excuse of a bed.

 

The former lieutenant didn’t regret his actions in the slightest, ~~even if it did cost him his badge~~ , but now Cole is completely alone until he can leave this godforsaken police station. Hank spent the last 25 hours pacing in his cell and demanding to speak to Fowler with obscene curses spilling from his mouth, but everyone ignored him, not wanting to deal with Hank’s lack of anger management.

 

 _This day just keeps getting better and better,_ Hank thought bitterly as he sat up with an angry pout.

 

The police station is practically empty, save for three policemen patrolling the station while most of the cops are spread thin all over Detroit. Officer Person looks like she’s ready to punch a wall she looks so done. Hank couldn’t blame her; he’s already a thousand percent done as it is, and while he may be in a holding cell, Person was only here because there’s no one else available to help maintain national security in the department besides the SWAT Force, and even they were unavailable as it is.

 

In short, it looks like Hank’s not the only one having a really shitty day. From the window, Hank can also see officers Brown and Parker talking amongst themselves, most likely betting on when Officer Person would snap and throw a tantrum like a five-year-old who didn’t get her Christmas present. Person is known for her unpredictable temper as well, except she tends to keep it under wraps better than the former lieutenant.

 

He gives her props for that, even now.

 

Hank sighs for what seems like the millionth time and continues to stare out the clear glass blankly. How much longer does he need to stay in here? What if Detroit gets raided and he’s too busy being stuck in here to do anything? How will his son cope with being alone?

 

Anderson smiles happily when he remembers Chris offered to take his son with him to evacuate the city through the prison phone line. His family already evacuated to Pontiac, where Chris’s extended family lives, but after he heard what happened to Hank, he came all the way back to Detroit today to check on him and his son, offer to take him away from this city before things get worse. It was a nice gesture, and Hank readily accepted so his son wouldn’t be in Detroit with all the madness going on. If things are going as planned, Chris is probably already on his way to pick up Cole as he’s sitting here. Since Chris is a cop, he’ll be safe… For now.

 

Connor hadn’t returned since leaving for the deviant’s hiding place, so the man assumes that he either stayed with Markus to help with the revolution, or…

 

No… Best not to consider _that_ possibility. He’s already dealing with so much as it is, and he cannot bear the thought of losing another person he cares about.

 

Hank’s thoughts trace back to Heather. Sweet, loving, Heather… A pang of grief bursts into his heart once again. Damn this cell for forcing his mind to wander to _her_. He wonders what she would have done in a situation like this. Would she have been receptive to androids now that they’ve proven to be alive?

 

The man has to wonder how things would have turned out if she were still here, not a burning mass of flesh and bones. It’s the only thing he can do in his small confinement anyhow.

 

Hank laughs bitterly. He’d be a better dad that’s for sure, and Cole would have a mother again. Does his son miss his mother as much as he does? Maybe the former lieutenant should have a talk with his boy after this shit blows over.

If it blows over anytime soon.

 

* * *

_8:56 PM_

 

Hours pass on like years, and minutes like hours. The police station is completely empty now, even the three patrol officers from before have left. This whole station is a ghost town, not even Fowler stayed to endure this mess of a revolution, opting instead to let the FBI and U.S. Military take the reigns. Hank has already punched the glass wall keeping him confined in frustration, causing it to crack ever so slightly. What else was he supposed to do?! Give up?!

 

Hank is a man of very little patience, so right now, he’s feeling more impatient and useless than he’s ever felt since the crash. The man sighs, getting frustrated once again,

 

“Hello?! Did ya fuckers forget that you have a prisoner in here?! I’m completely fuckin’ alone right now!” Hank cries, anger clear in his voice. By now, Cole has probably gotten his things to leave, so with any luck, he should at least be out of the house. Thinking about his son put the older man at ease, remembering that _Cole is safe,_ and that’s all that matters.

If he has to suffer in this unbearably damning holding cell for one more goddamn minute, so be it.

 

A soft staticky noise fills the air subtly. Hank pays no mind to it, but once the noise gets louder, he looks up from his sitting position. The glass door is glitching, the screen filled with noise and changing images. Startled, the man gets up in panic. It seems like someone is trying to hack his cell. After staring at the malfunctioning door for a few more moments, the door shoots open, freeing the man.

 

“Lieutenant Anderson!” A familiar and happy voice exclaims, revealing himself to be Connor.

 

“Connor! Holy fuck am I glad to see you!” Hank smiles, running towards the android to give the goofy android a big ol’ bear hug. The older man stops himself though in order to maintain his distant persona. “Why the hell are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be with the deviants?” The older man starts bombarding the android with only two of his twenty questions.

 

“Jericho blew up, so I retreated from the wreckage to find you and Cole!” Connor explains in a winded tone, as if he’s been trying to find them for hours. Hank sighs full of relief and pulls the android into a hug, no longer able to restrain himself, “Damn I was so worried, you’ll be happy to know Cole is safe! Chris should be on his way to pick him up as we speak, so he’ll be out of the city before we know it,” The man informs urgently, happy to know he has Connor to help him now.

 

Connor frowns suddenly after receiving that bit of information, “I hope he’s doing okay, but unfortunately, I’m here for more urgent business. We need to go back to your house as soon as possible. It’s imperative for you to be reunited with your son before I stay to regroup with Markus.”

 

Hank quirks an eyebrow curiously, then chuckles, “I couldn’t have said it better myself, Connor! Let's get the flying fuck outta’ here!”

 

With that said, the two individuals hurry over to a driverless automobile that’s already waiting for them, automated and functioning. It has the CyberLife logo on it. Hank furrows his brow at the sight, but nonetheless, enters the suspicious car. More questions than answers fill the older man’s mind when he sees the car is self-driving, not unusual for the city’s transit, but still iffy. Hank shook off his instincts telling him something was off.

 

‘Connor probably just hacked the car so he could have a means of transportation,’ Hank thought reasonably. After the android follows suit, the car door slides shut and the vehicle heads into the direction of Hank’s house. The man watches the android next to him, and notices he’s staring off into the distance, eyes blank and dull. Concern flashes in the fatherly man’s eyes, and he instantly moves to face his android partner, “Hey, Connor, you okay?” he asks gently. Connor snaps out of his trance and stares back at Hank. He flashes a smile.

 

“Oh, I’m fine, Lieutenant. I’m just… Processing,” he waves off, keeping his innermost thoughts to himself.

 

“Actually, no use in calling me Lieutenant anymore. I got my ass fired for the stunt I pulled earlier. I’m glad it was somewhat worth it,” Hank mourns for the loss of his job, despite the good it did for his newfound friend.

 

Connor’s smile falls and he frowns guiltily, “It’s all my fault. I’m truly sorry for what happened, Hank.”

 

“Ah, it’s okay. What matters is we’re safe now, and Cole and I can get the hell outta’ this city before shit hits the fan,” the man asserts, not wanting the android to feel responsible.

 

A few more moments of quiet contemplation fill the silence as they begin to near Hank’s neighborhood. The former lieutenant looks at Connor again, but finds himself unable to read his hard-to-crack poker face,

 

“Yo, Connor… If you want… You could come with us? After this mess is all over, if you ever need anything… Anything at all, just give us a call. I know I’m not good at these things, but I’m being serious. You’ve done so much for us already… Just... Thanks. For being, you.” Hank expresses awkwardly, not at all good at expressing his gratitude.

 

Connor stays silent for a moment, before allowing his dark eyes to stare back at the human, dull and unfeeling. Hank flinches when he sees them, goosebumps picking at the edge of his neck and forearms. The man cannot deny his uneasiness anymore. Something is off.

 

“Is that so?” The android questions softly, tilting his head curiously, “Tell me, Hank…” The RK800 model leans towards the man, and without warning, Hank hears a click.

 

A malicious smirk spreads on the detective’s face, his eyes appearing black in the darkness, “Could your son stand the presence of an android built to be a killer?” he inquires with a dark tone.

 

Realization, shock, and anger flare inside the man’s core, yet only one word comes to mind to describe how exactly how he feels.

 

_Betrayed._

**_~~ BETRAYED. ~~ _ **

 

 

 

“C-Connor, what the hell are you doing?!” Hank stutters, feeling the gun lodged against his stomach a more burning sensation than any bullet he could sustain.

 

The android doesn’t flinch when he hears the desperation in Hank’s voice. The RK800’s smirk widens, nearly turning into a full-blown grin as he watches the former lieutenant in amusement. This should be _fun._

 

* * *

Hank’s House

10:08 PM

 

“We’re reporting live from Detroit of the android revolution, and it seems the deviants have taken refuge in a fort they themselves built in order to stand their ground. Public opinion has been largely supportive during this time of uncertainty and fear, but will the deviants continue to make advancements on humanity or will they-”

 

Cole turns off the TV with the remote control, snuggling in his blanket as he and Sumo lay comfortably on the couch together. He’s been alone for almost three days now, and all he did during that time was play video games, watch the news or read comic books until his dad can come home. The boy’s father called him a few hours ago to tell him that Chris was on his way from Pontiac to pick him up from the house, but he’s been waiting for _HOURS_ , and still no Chris.

 

The last call he got from Chris was at around eight something, and it was just the man trying to reassure him that he’d be there as soon as possible and that he was going to be late due to the horrible traffic the city has been wrecked with.

 

Cole sighs and stares at his phone. He misses his father so much…

 

The child has never been left alone for this long before, yet now he has to leave Detroit without his father because his dad punched an FBI agent?

 

 _‘It’s not fair,’_ the boy thinks bitterly as he goes through his contacts list to see whom he could call. His finger brushes over to his dad’s name, which is useless right now since he’s in jail. This whole situation has just been one frustrating event after another.

 

The boy puts it away before he resumes his sulking posture. Cole swears he’ll go insane if he has to wait one more minute for someone to contact him, but he knows deep down that realistically, he’ll be staying here for much longer than he or anyone anticipated.

 

A vibrating sensation is felt in the boy’s lower pant pocket, causing the boy to look down. His phone is ringing. With renewed interest and boredom ready to be killed, he answers the phone, not bothering to look at the contact number, “Hello, this is Cole Anderson speaking,”

 

“Oh my god, Cole, I don’t know what to do!” A sobbed voice rang from the other line, and the boy immediately recognizes who it is,

 

“Tammy? What’s wrong?!” Cole asks with clear worry and concern,

 

“It’s my mom! She hasn’t come home in _days_ , and we were supposed to evacuate yesterday, but my dad won’t let us leave until she’s found, and I’m freaking out right now…! My dad’s been searching everywhere, but no luck… I need to be told it’s gonna be okay…” She sobs again, clearly not knowing whom else to turn to.

 

Cole anxiously pets Sumo as he’s taking all the information in, his eyebrows furrowing in remorse and sympathy, “Oh no… I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?” He offers gently, feeling pain for her plight. He could relate in more ways than one what it’s like to lose a mother, but perhaps Tammy’s mother is really just missing…

 

“Y-Your dad’s a detective, right..? Maybe you can ask him for help? I mean, my dad’s a cop, but maybe if your dad knows he can find out what happened to her..? I’m so scared, Cole, what if it has to do with the revolution?!” She exasperates in a panicked tone.

 

Cole thinks about it for a moment, and guiltily appeases her wishes, “I’ll see what I can do… Okay?”

 

“Okay… Thank you so much…”

 

Cole gets ready to hang up,

 

“Wait! Uh… Before you go… Just… Be careful, okay? It’s dangerous out there…” Tamara finishes, hanging up before the boy can. Cole stares dumbly at his phone and palms his face in sadness and anxiety for his friend.

 

Sumo whines loudly when he senses his human companion’s distress, and nuzzles in further the boy’s lap, attempting to provide comfort. Cole smiles, thankful for the gesture and pets Sumo behind the ears, “Good dog, Sumo.” Cole praises as the dog leans into the boy’s touch.

 

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

The boy shoots up in alarm at the sound of his door knocking and quickly flies off the couch to run at the door. The boy shakes with anticipation at who could possibly be at the door right at this moment, but since he’s desperate for something eventful to happen, he all but rings the door open.

 

Cole gasps, and beams widely, “CONNOR!”

 

Connor smiles when he’s embraced by the child in an iron-clad grip. The android hugs back in earnest and cups the boy’s face, worry shown in his eyes, “Are you okay? I came as quickly as I could, I wasn’t sure if I’d even come back,” he admits, worry in his tone.

 

“I waited all day and all night for you. I knew you’d come back I just knew you would!” Cole says naively, a childlike innocence gleaming in his eyes.

 

 _Connor’s back!_ The boy cheers mentally, overjoy and relief causing him to hesitate in questioning the obvious things.

 

Why is he here?

How did he get here?

Why’s he wearing his old uniform?

 

Cole pulls away from the hug and tells him to come inside the house.

 

“It’s freezing out, and I know you’re an android and stuff, but it’s kinda rude to have you standing out there alone,” Cole laughs, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

 

The fake Connor smiles tightly at the boy’s antics, and he cannot help but wonder what his reaction will be like once he breaks his vulnerable and damaged heart…

 

_Exhilarating._

“Hey, Sumo! Come say hi to Connor!” Cole calls with childlike eagerness, immediately catching the dog’s attention. Sumo walks up to the android with his tail wagging and his sudden appearance does nothing to make the android flinch. When the giant dog sniffs the android out, he whines and backs away, running to hide behind Cole. The action confuses the child, and he can’t help but pet the dog to reassure him, “Sumo, what’s wrong? Its just Connor, see?” He gestures to Connor, and his eyes land on the android once again.

 

It’s at that moment his eyes travel downward to see the android’s uniform more closely.

 

#313-248-317- ** _60_**

 

Huh… 60.

 

Wait a minute.

 

WAIT A MINUTE-

 

Cole’s eyes widen in shock, and he finds himself stepping backwards unconsciously. Fear grips his heart like a vice, and he’s staring at the number like a moth drawn to a flame. Something’s really wrong… Connor’s serial number ends with a 52…

 

No… He _knows_ it ends in a 52. He saw it himself while they were at Kamski’s place. There’s no way he could have gotten another uniform with all the patrols out there, right? _Right?!_

__

Cole’s gaze shifts back to Sumo and he wordlessly tells the dog to go outside with his eyes. Sumo seems to understand because he’s long gone by the time Connor has a chance to react to the dog’s sudden absence.

__

“Cole, are you alright?” Connor asks, his voice feigning concern. The child shakes his head to get out of his thoughts, and addresses the android ~~fearfully~~ nervously,

 

“That’s not your jacket.” The boy mumbles in a panicky tone, shaking like a leaf at the implication he’s getting at.

 

The RK800 model raises his eyebrows, and his eyes suddenly turn dull at the boy’s comment.

 

“I do not understand. Of course it’s my jacket,” Connor says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

 

“No, no no. Your jacket ends in 52, not 60. I saw his serial number at Kamski’s house. That’s not your jacket, Connor, so if you’re not who you say you are just _SAY IT!_ ” The child all but screams, tears shining in his eyes as he backs away defensively. The android looks dumbfounded for a moment, as if genuinely shocked at the accusation. The moment is short lived though, because the RK800 model’s face cracks a small smile. Then a grin.

 

And finally, a crazed look enters the android’s eyes unexpectedly. He throws back his head and _laughs_ , scaring the child even more.

 

“Well done, Cole.” He chuckles, “But you have no idea who you’re dealing with…” His face returns to its neutral blank look as he draws his gun.

 

Cole squeaks before hightailing it to the restroom beside his room, evading the android before he could even process shooting the child.

 

Immediately he locks the door, pushes a chair against said door, and sits on the toilet pulling out his phone from his pant pocket. With shaky hands, he texts Chris in big bold letters.

 

**Cole: CHRIS HELP! AN ANDROID PRETENDING TO BE CONNOR IS HERE TO PROBABLY KILL ME!**

After a few seconds, Cole gets a reply instantly.

**Uncle Chris: Woah, woah kid, slow down. What are you talking about? I’m still in traffic.**

**Cole: CHRIS PLEASE, IM NOT SURE HOW MUCH TIME I HAVE LEFT-**

The phone glitches unexpectedly, and shocks the child with an electrical buzz.

 

“Ah!” Cole yelps as he drops the phone on the tiled floors of the bathroom. The boy quickly scrambles to pick up the phone, but once he has it in his hands again, he realizes it’s busted beyond repair. It’s been _hacked._

 

“Fuck!” Cole curses, staring at the phone in despondency.

 

A low and dark chuckle rumbles from the other side of the bathroom door, causing the boy to look up in panic,

 

“You’re very clever for a child, Cole. I knew I couldn’t fool you for very long. You really are just like your father, after all,” The android imposter muses, leaning against the bathroom door with a grin.

 

Cole runs to towards the bathroom door in his feeble attempt to keep it closed.

The boy’s tiny body isn’t enough to block the android from slamming the door open, who enters the bathroom with his gun trained on the child.

 

Cole feels sick to his stomach at the sight of the intimidating firearm, but he refuses to stay put when he can only sense danger looming. Foolishly, the boy attempts to evade him once more, but the android is prepared this time. The RK800 grabs the child firmly in his grasp and slams him against a nearby wall. Cole gasps loudly as he’s winded, coughing up saliva and spit. His ribs are aching, and his heart is beating for what seems like a million beats per second, but in a fit of courage he kicks the android square in the thirium pump with his prosthetic leg.

 

The android grunts at the force, giving the boy enough time to run towards the living room, and towards the front door.

 

 _‘Almost there!’_ Cole screams internally as he reaches for the doorknob.

 

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

 

A shriek and a pained groan emit from the small boy as he collapses on the ground with a hard ‘thud.’ If Cole didn’t feel panic before, he’s feeling terror now, finding he can’t move his prosthetic leg at all.

 

_No, no, no, nononononono!_

Tears spill freely as the boy gave short and labored sobs, hyperventilating from all the stress.

“An AL50 prosthetic. Lightweight and durable in size and structure, but undeniably flawed in design,” The fake ponders out loud, a hint of morbid curiosity in his tone as he saunters his way towards the kitchen table, only to find exactly what he’s looking for. Cole’s laptop.

 

Connor 60 retracts his artificial skin and places his robotic hand on the laptop, corrupting its files, and everything else in it.

 

“W-What are you doing..?!” Cole sobs out, immobile on the ground as he stares helplessly at the android.

 

“Your laptop contains top secret CyberLife issued concepts. I was ordered to destroy them,” he deadpans emotionlessly but smirks at the young child when his eyes widen at the new bit of information.

 

“Ho-how did you- _why_ did you-?”

 

“She’s a nice girl, you know.”

 

Cole’s heart freezes, and his thoughts go straight to Tamara. Did he know about her? Did this Connor have access to all his memories? 

 

“Don’t you dare bring her up, you psycho! She has nothing to do with this!” Cole belts out angrily, sitting up from his feeble position. 

 

Connor 60 rolls his eyes at the child’s sudden protectiveness. Humans are so _sensitive_. It did make them all the more entertaining though. Their petty emotions are so fascinating. The way they cry, the way they scream with just a mere manipulation of words. The fake turns his direction to the younger boy, and smirks. Are all humans this pathetic, he wonders? 

 

“Oh that’s where you’re wrong, Cole. She has everything to do with your unsavory predicament. All of this could have been avoided if she hadn’t sent you those concepts. But how could you ever guess such a thing would put both of your lives in danger? I suppose I’ll never understand the mind of a human child...” 

 

Cole is starting to understand how into deep he got with the Amanda conspiracy. All the boy wanted was to complete a project, how could he have guessed that Amanda’s mysterious death would be such a big deal to CyberLife? The thought both stresses and terrifies the hell out of him. 

 

The boy swallows thickly and glances at the broken prosthetic along the cut he received from the bullet on the stub of his knee. It’s bleeding bad. 

 

“Her mother was a brilliant scientist as well. It’s such a shame,” he feigns a dramatic sigh, “If only her precious daughter hadn’t given you the concepts, her mother would still be here today,”

 

Bile. The boy feels nothing but bile well up his throat when does the math. When he puts two and two together. He feels like he’s going to be sick all over again, and-

 

The contents are spilled unceremoniously, the green-brown liquid with chunks of half-digested frozen pizza spill all over the floor, and he’s suddenly even gladder that _monster_ doesn’t look at him, the shame welling up.

 

Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. And more guilt.

 

This is all his fault.

 

 _This is all my fault_.

 

“Oh, you threw up.” He notes, his dark eyes glancing down the child with a sadistic glint.

 

Almost too afraid to ask, he asks a burning question, “how many people did you have to kill in order to keep them quiet..? How many lives did you have to take?!” He interrogates, venom spilling from his voice. How many families did this _**absolute monster**_ tear apart?!

 

The fake kneels down at the boy’s level in a patronizing way, and looks dead in his eyes. There’s no pity, no remorse, just cold emptiness. 

 

“That information is not relevant to the mission. And it certainly will not comfort your already fragile state of mind,” he mocks. 

 

“You’re a monster…” Cole whimpers out with a labored gasp, coughing at his own choked breathing. 

 

Connor 60 gave a short chuckle at that, “No, Cole.”

 

Unexpectedly, he grabs the child by the collar of his dirty shirt, careful not to get any vomit on his tailored suit. He suffocates the young child by choking his neck…

 

** >BLOOD OXYGEN LEVELS LOW….  **

****

The last bit of the boy’s tears fall, and he soon loses consciousness, unable to resist himself any longer.

 

“I’m just a machine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't kill me, guys! ;; This angst was planned from the very beginning, so bear with me here. The next few chapters are gonna be an angst fest, but I promise it'll be worth it. Anyways, I hope I was able to make you hate me for a hot second, since that's what I was going for in this chapter. Next chapter is the CyberLife tower chapter, so be ready guys..


	13. Alive and Unstable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Andersons trapped under Connor 60's grasp, Connor's faced with a horrible circumstance. 
> 
> How far is he willing to go to save the ones he loves?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was really tough to write guys, and its LONG too! Geez, so much happens here, so I'm just gonna cut to the chase! I hope you guys like this chapter, I admit some things I'm not completely happy with, but I'm hoping you guys will enjoy it at least. Thank you to those who have read this far, it means the whole world to me that this story is almost over, and people still read it. ;;

_“Mom, I don’t wanna go!” A high-pitched voice complained as sunscreen was continuously applied to the child’s body. Summers in Detroit weren’t as bad as the ones further down south, but due to global warming and the fairness of her child’s skin, she would always apply sunscreen twice before playing and twice after. Don’t want to risk sunburns after all, even if it was just the park. The mother in question sighed before turning her son to face her, forcing him to cower under the sternness of her firm look. You know the one. The one that tells you that you shouldn’t talk back to your parents, even if you think you are right. Just as the woman was done poking and prodding her son, she packs the sunscreen in her large summer bag._

_“Sweetie, I know you wanna keep playing, but daddy’s on his way back and we need to head back before then,” the blonde woman scolded gently as she picked up her child’s backpack full of toys. They always did this in the afternoons. It was always the easiest way to ensure her boy was getting ample time outdoors, and to make sure he didn’t end up like a shut-in like most people his age._

_Even at five years old, Cole was a free, active spirit._

_The young boy watched as his mother reached to grab his hand, and grabbed hers in return._

_“Mommy?”_

_“Yes, hun?” She regarded as she noted her son’s pensive look. “Why does daddy come home super duper late? I never see him when it’s sunny, it’s not fair!” He complains._

_The woman frowned at her son’s sadness, and then smiled sadly, “Well, daddy’s out there saving people’s lives. Like a superhero! He needs to keep working hard so he can keep you and I safe from bad guys,” She dramatized with a playful grin and funny gestures. That seemed to make the boy laugh lightly, even if it was just a little bit._

_“Do you think I can be like him too? Saving people from bad guys?” The child asks with eyes as wide as a cat’s and as bright as a hopeful star. The admiration and happiness he showed made where his dreams laid clear as day, yet his mother didn’t look enthusiastic about her son’s question. She looks off into the distance in deep thought._

_As much as she loves her husband, she never fully coped with the idea that her son would want to follow in his footsteps and partake in the same dangerous career as his father. But that was still a long time from now. He had plenty of time to choose what he really wanted to be, so unselfishly, ~~and perhaps a little selfishly~~ ; she indulged in her boy’s dream. _

_“Cole, sweetie, you are the bravest and the kindest person I have ever known. With a heart as big as yours? Heh, you’ll save hundreds of lives before you even know it. But always remember; don’t force yourself to do more than what you can. You can always work your best and be the best you can be, but you have your dad and I to guide you. And we will never leave you. Ever.” She promised fiercely. The young boy’s eyes glow at the wisdom he received, and he hugged his mother tightly. His mother grins mischievously, and tickled her son affectionately, causing him to erupt in tiny giggles._

_“I love you, mom!” He giggled, tears pricking at the end of his eyes._

_“Not as much as I love you!” She replied, the two laughing the whole way through._

* * *

 

10:32 PM

 

Blue eyes flutter open, red and exhausted from all the horrors they have seen as of late. Hank tries to move from his uncomfortable position but notices that he’s confined to a seatbelt. Every time he tries to budge, he feels a searing pain in his abdominal area, nearly causing him to recoil. Shit… How long was he out? Glancing downwards, he can see both his hands are cuffed tightly. Additionally, his head feels sticky and aches so goddamn much. Is it bleeding? Hell if he knows at this point. The former lieutenant frantically looks around the car to see if he can find anything that can help them escape. In the front passenger seats, he finds the fake Connor sitting in the front, uninterested in his captives.

 

Hank glares at the android, knowing full well that this _thing_ cannot possibly be their Connor. He’s seen how Connor acts, and how much he’s changed… the Connor he knows would never do what this asshole did. He has to believe that, or else he’ll explode due to stress and confusion.

 

Hank’s eyes widen when he catches sight of Cole leaning unconsciously against his shoulders, duck tape visibly cutting off the circulation on his hands. The child has light bruises on his cheek, and his prosthetic is broken, rendering him immobile. The man tries to nudge his son and whispers for him to wake up in an earnest tone,

 

“Cole! Wake up, I need you to stay with me…” Hank whispers, a plethora of emotions lacing his tone, but the most prominent of them being fear. Fear of losing him to an android he thought he could trust. Fear of the revolution failing. Fear of breaking his promise…

 

The boy shifts at the sound of his father’s voice and his own blue eyes open, only to stare blankly at the floor when he realizes that his reality is far grimmer then he thought. So it was just a dream. Hank looks hurt when his own son doesn’t look at him, causing him to feel an immense guilt for what happened to him.

 

He wasn’t there when Cole was in danger, wasn’t there to protect him… And the mere fact alone kills him inside. He wants so badly to ask his son what the hell the android did to him, but he knows if he does ask he risks gaining the android’s attention. An android’s hearing is superior to that of a human’s so no doubt he could hear them if he paid any mind to the two humans.

 

“…Not…Connor...” Cole chokes out, his neck still sore from the strangulation earlier. Hank perks in interest when his son all but confirms his suspicion, “What do you mean that’s not Connor?” he probes, turning to face his son fully,

 

“His… Serial number… It’s not 52… It’s 60. That Connor is a different android… Same model…” the boy coughs, glaring at their kidnapper. The android in question suppresses a smirk and sneers back at the child, glancing at the two through the rearview mirror,

 

“Your son is correct. I didn’t realize he’d be so observant… It’s quite an admirable trait, don’t you think?” He drawls, malevolence clear in his tone.

 

Hank bristles his restraints in anger, trying to fight through his confinement so he could maul that son of a bitch.

 

How dare he… How _dare_ he…

 

The android smiles in morbid amusement, watching as Hank flails like a fish out of water. It doesn’t take an android with unlimited intelligence to know that the man is not strong enough to cause any real damage, let alone get out of his restraints. Human emotions are so interesting…

 

Cole sighs and anxiously tries to calm his father down, “dad, stop. He’s only trying to get a reaction from us,” he explains as gently as possible, trying his best to keep a level head even though he’s panicking internally as well. Hank stops struggling after realizing his son is right, and grumbles in annoyance at their situation.

 

“Listen here, pal. The moment I get out of these damn cuffs, I’m gonna tear ya to pieces you fuckin’ scumbag!” Hank promises full of venom. Cole glances uncomfortably at his father, and then at the android, who seems unfazed by what he deems as an empty threat.

 

“You could try if you’d like, but I am capable of disabling any human I come into contact within seconds. You’re no match for me. Neither of you are.” He states bluntly, like it’s a fact written in some encyclopedia. The coldness of his statement only angers Hank, even more, frustration eminent in his expression.

 

“Where… are you taking us?” Cole questions firmly, desperately wanting to know despite his father’s angry disposition. It hurt to talk since he feels a stabbing pain in his ribs, but someone needed to ask. Why did CyberLife send this android copy to take them somewhere? Are they hostages..? The android didn’t respond right away, seeming to be lost in thought or opting to ignore the child altogether. However, after a moment has passed, he does respond,

 

“You’ll both find out soon enough. Although If I were you, Hank, I’d tell your son to remain quiet. I was ordered to keep both of you alive, but he’s been tempting me all night,” he grimaces angrily, slowly bringing his gun towards Cole. The boy flinches at the sight of the glock, and Hank’s heart leaps to his throat.

 

“Dad… He has a gun..!” Cole panics, breathing erratically at the unsettling memory of nearly getting killed half an hour ago.

 

“Wait! Fuck, please stop! We’ll behave… Just don’t hurt him,” Hank begs, droplets of sweat forming on his forehead.

 

The gun is pressed against the boy’s forehead and then drags along his cheek. Cole suppresses a panicked yelp while Hank’s blood boils red hot and he’s ready to scream at him to stop. “I never killed a child before… I wonder if it feels the same as killing an adult human? I’d love to find out…” he ponders sinisterly, artificial endorphins coursing through his veins at the mere thought.

 

The two humans are silent, careful not to move a single inch. Just one sudden movement can set this unstable being off, and Hank doesn’t want to risk losing anyone else. Not if he can help it.

 

“You’re fuckin’ insane… A complete nutjob.” Hank gasps, feeling nothing but shock and anger. The fake Connor raises a questioning eyebrow and grins, “Am I Hank? I’m only a willing machine, ready to complete the task given to me. Unlike Connor _, model 52._ Believing he could be free to do whatever he pleases? To have a ‘precious family’ to belong to? Pathetic.” The fake hisses with disgust. The intimidating firearm is slowly sheathed back into the android’s hilt, and Cole lets out a breath he had no idea he was holding. Hank perspires rapidly, his forehead and hair soaked despite the cold air outside the car.

 

Just one lousy movement and his son could have died… Just one attempt to disarm him…

 

The man takes a deep breath, so he can attempt to calm his nerves. In… Out… In… Out…

 

The tension in the car only rises when the atmosphere turns quiet again, the two humans trying to stay as silent as possible as to not rouse any more attention from the android. Despite his best attempt, the boy can’t stand the silence any longer, and instead opts to whisper to his father instead,

 

“I dreamt of mom again…” Cole whispers in a croaked voice, startling Hank.

 

Hank furrows his brows sadly and sighs, leaning closer in an attempt to comfort him.

 

“We were happy… I remember her smile… The way she’d laugh and play games with me. For a moment, I thought my life was just one big nightmare, and that I’d finally wake up, and run to her arms again. Of course, I was wrong…” Cole rants silently, heartache and agony peaking in his tone.

 

No matter how hard he tries to move on, Cole still holds on to his mother’s memory like it’s the only thing keeping him grounded in reality. Before Cole’s break down a few days ago, Hank never imagined Cole felt this way about his mother; he always seemed to pretend he didn’t care. Hank knows better now, and he vows to make it right again,

 

“Cole… I… I’m so sorry for what happened… It’s all my fault; I should have been there to protect you… I swear on my life, this asshole will never hurt you again.” Hank promises earnestly keeping his voice low. Cole looks up from his downcast gaze, and forces a smile at his father, grateful for the reassurance. However, the moment is interrupted when the driverless car starts slowing down until it eventually comes to a gentle stop. The two look out the window to see where they are.

 

“No way…” Hank shudders, glancing at the large imposing building that looks like it came out of a science fiction movie. Cole is equally surprised; noticing the bright LED words that boast the company’s name like it’s a trademark.

 

They have arrived.

 

* * *

 

10:48 PM

 

Infiltrating CyberLife Tower was not a simple task, but thankfully with Markus’ help, the deviants at Jericho were able to pull a few strings within the tower so that Connor could get in without arousing suspicion. He discarded Detective Reed’s clothing before arriving here and put back on his old uniform so he could look the part as well. The military personnel stands idly in the elevator, Connor standing at the middle. He realizes the only reason why they let him in the tower is that he was ordered to be deactivated, so no doubt if he stays in the elevator, they’ll kill him the second he steps out.

 

He has to act fast.

 

Connor glances at the security camera in the top left corner of the compartment and hacks it. Once the device is disabled, he forms a preconstruction.

 

** NEUTRALIZE AGENT 23…POSSIBILITY OF SUCCESS… 75%  **

****

** NEUTRALIZE AGENT 54...POSSIBILITY OF SUCCESS… 87% **

 

After making a preconstruction with the higher odds of success, he makes his move. Quickly, Connor pins Agent 23 against the wall and disarms him, completely catching the soldier off guard, and then kicks Agent 54 in the shin from behind him as he’s drawing his semi-automatic rifle. As the soldier is distracted, Connor breaks his hand and then grabs his gun. Agent 54 is knocked to the ground as the other agent tries to chokehold Connor. This ends up being his biggest mistake, because after the android frees himself from the agent’s grip, Connor shoots him from behind with graceful precision, and then promptly shoots the other agent right in his skull.

 

Connor holsters the newly acquired firearm as he watches crimson red blood seep out from the two human corpses. He frowns remorsefully. All these humans were doing was following orders, but circumstances are too strained at the moment. He needs to do this.

 

The android represses his guilt before placing a synthetic hand on the elevator pad.

 

“Please indicate your identity and destination,” an automated voice rang in the elevator.

 

“Agent 54. Level -49.” Connor imitates the deceased’s voice, the voice so alike it’s almost scary. The RK800 model didn’t imitate voices often, but when he does, it’s for last resort purposes only. Connor doesn’t fancy using it unless he has to because it feels _wrong_ to use it. He never did like the feature, feeling dirty for manipulating other individuals.

 

The android is lost in his thoughts as the elevator descends to the storage facilities deep underground. After this mission, he could go back and find Hank and Cole. He felt a pang of worry and unease at the thought of the two humans. The Lieutenant was most likely locked up at the moment, and who knows where the boy was. Connor can only imagine where they are, but he hopes they’re safe. Perhaps he should treat Hank to a drink after this mess is over, and visit his son when he gets the chance. His heart tightens in his chest. He misses them so much…

 

Connor’s expression turns from saddened to determined when he remembers what’s at stake. He’ll have the chance to reconcile with them as soon as he completes this task. Right now, Markus and Jericho are counting on him. _His people_ are counting on him.

 

The elevator finally stops as it makes its destination, and hundreds of androids are lined up like merchandise on a conveyer belt, ready to be shipped off and bought by the highest bidder. Not for long though. Connor steps over the human corpses as he departs from the elevator shaft.

 

_Tap…_

_Tap…_

_Tap…_

The android’s shoes echo loudly in the massive yet quiet room, the sight of the unconscious androids making the room appear eerie and right out of a science fiction horror movie. All of their eyes are blank and lifeless, like standing corpses or mannequins. Connor pretends to feel unfazed by the sight, but deep down he’s shaken. That’s what he used to look like… Mannequins ready to be used like merchandise. Just how many other Connors are there..? He’s not unique at all. He’s only a copy of a long line of androids with the same abilities, same look, _~~same personality.~~_

__

He has to wonder, does he truly deserve deviancy? To be his own person..? How would Hank feel about the idea of other androids looking exactly like him, let alone Cole, who’s too young and innocent to fully grasp that there are several androids who are built and programmed to understand certain humans..? Built for certain tasks? Is the young boy aware that he’s no different than any other Connor model…?

 

An android built to assassinate and murder...

 

Connor doesn’t want to dwell on that and tries to remember he’s deviant now. He doesn’t need to be what they made him. He nearly forgot. After heaving a thoughtful and frustrated sigh, he walks towards an android right in the center of the room. If he wakes this particular android, he’ll ensure that each android can wake each other. It’s faster that way, and he could use all the time in the world right now.

 

The RK800 finally stands in front of the sleeping android, and carefully retracts his artificial skin from his hand. It’s now or never. No turning back.

 

He reaches his hand out and grabs the fellow android’s own artificial limb. Carefully, he begins converting the android into a deviant. Connor doesn’t know why he has this ability; it only surfaced once he became a deviant… He remembers confronting Markus, and Amanda taking over his program for a moment there. He almost destroyed everything the deviants tried so hard to built… Undo everything Cole and Hank have done for him. However, thanks to Markus’ persuasion, and him thinking about the Andersons, what they’d want for him…

 

The answer was obvious. Conversion is near completion when Connor hears a voice to his right,

 

“Easy, you fuckin’ piece of shit…”

 

“Connor!”

 

As soon as hears those voices, he immediately knows who they are and shoots his head towards them. Connor’s LED turns a scarlet red when he sees what’s in front of him, and eyes widen in horror. Hank is holding his son up, who seems unable to stand without help of his own. Cole looks disheveled like he’s been involved in a nasty altercation, and fear seeps into Connor’s very core. He does a quick scan of the child.

**> AL50 Prosthetic…DAMAGED **

 

**> Handprints On Neck and Wrist Area…NO FINGERPRINTS**

 

**_> Lacerations and Bruises Present … RECENT _ **

****

 

YellowredyellowredyellowredyellowredredREDRED ** _RED_**. Connor cannot bring himself to scan anymore, and his expression is marked full of horror and fury. While Hank is suffering from a minor concussion and has bruises of his own, the child took quite a beating as well, if not a worse one.

 

“Step back, Connor!” An RK800 unit commands with authority, his eyes cold and mean. His firearm clicks, as if to remind the deviant what’s at stake if he doesn’t listen, “And I’ll spare them,” the duplicate finishes, his threat ringing loud and clear in Connor’s mind.

 

**> Stress Level: 56% and rising… **

The father-son duo exchange looks, not sure what to do. After a brief pause, it’s Cole who speaks up, “I tried to fight him…. We _both_ tried to fight him… We’re so sorry, Connor!” the boy apologizes, feeling guilty for getting so involved and possibly causing the android to make an impossible choice.

 

“Dammit Connor, I want you to do what you need to… But my son’s life means the whole world to me!” Hank agonizes, choosing his son’s life over the revolution any day. Fuck the revolution, if he and Cole have to die for it to come into fruition, then he’ll do everything he can to make sure his son gets out of this _alive_.

 

Connor’s LED whirrs in his head, rapidly alternating between a pale yellow and crimson red. His stress level’s never been so high, he wants nothing more than to whisk these two away into a safe place _but he can’t._

“Your friends' lives are in your hands, Connor. Now it’s time to decide what matters most! Them, or the revolution!” The fake threatens, a burst of euphoria forming when he sees his copy visibly tremble when the words leave his mouth.

 

“Don’t listen to him, everything this fucker says is a lie!” Hank grumbles, remembering the not-so-fond memory of being manipulated into this position in the first place. If Hank had just trusted his goddamn instincts… His son would probably be halfway to Pontiac by now. Fuck this shit…

 

“If I surrender… How do I know you won’t kill them?!” Connor probes, his artificial hand loosening its grip more and more.

 

**> Stress Level: 78% and rising…**

Connor 60’s leery eyes narrow, “I’ll only do what is strictly necessary in order to accomplish my mission. It’s up to you whether or not it includes killing the boy and his father!” The fake turns to the two, “Are you really willing to risk such a thing, Connor? I could have killed them both so easily merely hours ago… An alcoholic father and his lonely son. Still a family though… Right, Connor?” He says lowly, pressing the gun at the boy’s head. Cole’s heart rate accelerates faster out of fear and Hank wishes he could kill him right then and there.

 

Connor stares incredulously at this android’s willingness to kill an innocent child in order to complete his mission. This android is the same exact model as him, yet he’s nothing like him at all. Is this how he would have turned out if he remained a machine, he wonders? Willing to kill the very thing he was built to protect… He’s never felt more disgusted in his entire existence.

 

“Enough talk!” The android yells as he clicks his gun again at the child, causing him to flinch, “It’s time to decide who you really are! Are you going to save your partner and his son’s life, or are you going to sacrifice them?!”

 

Connor doesn’t need to think twice about it. He practically rips his hand away from the unconscious android’s arm, and raises his hands up in defeat, “Alright, alright! You win.” He surrenders.

 

Connor 60’s smirk widens into a maddened grin. He aims the gun towards Connor…

 

“ ** _NO!”_**

 

Time stops. The real Connor is faced with so many possibilities, so many different outcomes that can transpire if he makes his choice. He sees his replica aim at him, fully intent on killing him. He sees Cole’s outburst of protest, as he’s about to leap towards them. And finally, Hank has his hand around Cole’s wrist, fully intent on pulling the boy back from making such a reckless decision. Hank won’t be fast enough.

 

**_> Stress Level: 94% and rising… _ **

****

The android’s processor runs at several terabytes per second as he calculates every single minuscule possibility that can transpire.

 

If he shoots, the risk of accidentally shooting Cole is too high…

 

If he converts, his replica will shoot Cole; that’s a guarantee…

 

If he interposes, he could save Cole’s life, but _he_ will get shot instead; 89% chance it’ll be fatal…

 

Doing nothing is not an option.

 

The grace period between Connor’s thoughts and the actions unfolding is coming to an end, and the android must make a choice now. He closes his eyes tightly, having made his choice. He bolts towards the fake with inhuman speed and shoves the boy towards the floor. Hank is pushed to the ground by the malicious android before he aims the gun at the charging android. Connor grabs the replica's arm and twists it, causing him to drop the gun momentarily. As soon as he's distracted, the real Connor punches the fake square in the face, drawing thirium on his face and nose. As Connor tries to land another punch, the fake grabs his fist and retracts his synthetic skin. The android presses his fist down and slams it on the side of the floor, "Since you're so convinced you're not a machine, why don't you take a look at who you really are?" Connor 60 growls, interfacing with Connor. Connor gasps as he's seeing the images fly by in his head. "N-NO!" he yells, the memories of another floating by yet he still tries to hold his ground. 

The memories of the demented android fill his processor, and he sees things he never thought he'd get to see in his short existence. Every android and human murdered by this monster, every horrible thing he ever did... Even the murder of Dana Wilson flashes in his head. And then he sees... 

"Amanda..." Connor whispers as he forcefully disconnects from the other android. Impossible... Amanda contained her own android vessel?! Connor 60 smiles when he realizes his counterpart saw exactly when he wanted him to see. "That's right, Connor. Everything I ever did was because Amanda told me to do it. You call me a monster, yet all I did was follow orders. Something you could never do willfully. How does it feel to know that another version of  _you_ did away with countless androids and people? To see red and blue cloud you're peripherals every time you see them beg and scream?" He questions in a coy tone, noticing his counterpart's LED and expression stay furiously _red_.

 

 

**> Stress Level: 96%... **

 

Connor can no longer stand it and tackles his counterpart, hatred in his eyes. He punches the android like no tomorrow and draws so much thirium his hands start to turn blue. " _You_ killed them! I had nothing to do with their deaths, you bastard! How could you hurt him?! How could you hurt _them_?!" Connor all but screams, referring to Cole and Hank on the last bit of the sentence. The fake doesn't reply and merely relishes in the androids anger. This is exactly what he wanted. 

 

Connor continues punching the android, and attempts to get him to stay down, however, the other RK800 model is just as quick and has them flip positions to continue fighting.

 

Thirium continues to be drawn on both sides of the fight, and eventually, Connor 60 is bored of their little dance. As fast as lightning, the replica reaches for the gun he dropped and shoots at the real Connor. 

 

_BANG!_

_BANG!_

_“AGH!”_

 

** BIOCOMPONENT #9782f DAMAGED…  **

 

** BIOCOMPONENT #8456w DAMAGED…  **

****

Connor’s thirium pump regulator is shot square in the chest, blue blood leaking out of it slowly, but fatally…

 

S̵h̷u̶t̵d̴o̵w̴n̴ ̷I̵m̴m̴i̸n̶e̴n̴t̷-̶ ̷3̸ ̶M̸i̶n̷u̸t̷e̶s̷ ̴a̷n̷d̵ ̵4̷5̸ ̴S̸e̸c̶o̷n̶d̶s̴.̷.̸.̴

 

Connor’s on the ground, so he draws his own gun once more. Before he can shoot at his copy though, the replica kicks the firearm out of the android’s hand, causing it to skitter across from him.

 

“No, Connor!” Hank tries to run over to the android, but Connor 60 shoots Hank in the shoulder, causing him to collapse next to his son with a loud yelp. “I don’t think so,  _former Lieutenant_ _,”_ he mocks in a low voice, rubbing more salt on the man’s mental wound.

 

“DAD!” Cole screams as he tries to crawl to his father. Blood is leaking rapidly from Hank’s wound, pain searing through him like fame that burns and tears through flesh. Quickly, the man tries to press his wound tightly, so that more blood doesn’t leak out, but boy does he need to sit down...

 

The two humans are grounded due to their wounds, and Connor is dying with his thirium regulator damaged. The situation has turned nightmarish.

 

Connor 60 sighs melodramatically, and looks at his copy’s dying form, “Oh Connor… Did you really think I’d let all of you leave here alive? How naïve can you possibly be?” He laughs, walking towards Connor. The android in question glares daggers at his copy, and remains silent as he tries to get up.

 

Before the android could make a movement though, Connor 60 steps on his thirium pump regulator, causing it to crack and leak out even more thirium.

 

**S̶H̸U̸T̸D̵O̸W̸N̷ ̴I̵M̵I̷N̷E̴N̴T̸:̶ ̶2̴-̴2̶-̷2̸-̵2-2-̵ ̷M̸I̵N̸U̶T̸E̴ ̸A̶N̸D̵ ̶1̵0̵ ̶S̴E̴C̴O̵N̵D̵S̵…̶.̵ ̴**

“Surely you are aware of CyberLife’s orders, hm? You are me after all…”

 

“I will… NEVER… Be like **_you_** …!” Connor grits out, grinding his teeth as he tries his best to stay alive.

 

The fake scowls and presses his foot down harder, annoyance flaring in his system. Connor gasps, finding it harder to stay conscious, but he fights through it. The weakened android glances at Cole, who stares at the two with fear and concern.

 

“Is that really what you think..? Fool yourself all you want, Connor. But you will never be anything more than what you were designed to be. Why bother trying to be anything else? Look where your dreams of freedom got you, Connor…” The fake gestures to Cole, whose eyes widen when the android walks towards _him._

 

“N-No..! **_Don’t hurt him!_** ” Connor begs, anger and hatred bursting through his system.

 

Cole tries to crawl away, but he’s stopped when the android grabs him by the hair, dragging him upwards. The boy yelps, breathing erratically, but a flare of anger and panic burst through him as he growls at his captor.

 

“How amusing… Still fighting despite being held with no chance of escape…” the android muses.

 

“And you better believe I’ll keep fighting, you asshole! You think you’re so tough because you’ve killed so many people, but I know what you are. You’re just a coward who enjoys hurting others to feel alive!” Cole barks out, completely done with this android. If’s he’s going down, might as well go down fighting.

 

The grounded android’s mouth hangs open in shock at Cole’s outburst and then takes a moment to look for Hank, who’s reaching for Connor’s gun.

 

Connor 60’s LED glows yellow, then red at the accusation, and he presses his gun firmly on his head again, “I’m not alive, Cole. You don’t know what you’re talking about,”

 

“You’ve done nothing but hurt me and my dad all night long, when you could have killed us just now! Wanna hear the sad truth, buddy? You’re just as deviant as Connor, maybe more! A machine doesn’t play with its prey; it does what it needs to then moves on to the next mission. You _like_ dragging out the missions because it makes you feel things… I don’t even want to know what those things are, but to put it frankly, you’re just sick!”

 

“SHUT. UP! I could kill you right _now_!” He’s moved on from the gun, and now he’s gripping the child’s neck again. Despite being unable to breathe well, Cole keeps talking.

 

“BUT YOU WON’T. You can’t kill me now because it’s not a requirement. You’re only killing us if you have to. How would your superiors feel if they found out you actually _like_ killing humans?! NEWSFLASH: LIKING THINGS IS DEVIANCY!” Cole spills the truth like liquid fire as it burns through the demented android, whose LED is flickering a solid red at this point.

 

The android holds his head angrily as error signs and software instability burst through him like a windows blue screen, and all rationality and the machine-like procedure is all but forgotten. He slams the boy down the ground, and steps on his throat, ready to crush it. Fear and determination cloud the boy’s eyes as he stares at his potential killer. The android’s eyes are crazed and angry as they stare down at the boy.

 

̷̦̳̒͐̍̊ **S̵̖͊̋Ơ̷̼̘̤͐F̸̛̬͈̤Ţ̸̫̻̘͛̏W̵͖̳̬̅̍Ȃ̵͉̽̐R̶͖̜͐̄̿E̸̫͝ ̷̳͇̇͒̒̚I̸̝̻͎̚N̶͕̓ͅȘ̸͛͋T̴̯͖͚̩̿A̷̯͇̲͆͑̾B̷̫̩̠̿I̸̧͖̰̯̋͊Ļ̵̞̣̭̇̓I̶͎̻͛T̵͙̀͐Y̷͈̅͛̎̚ ̸͇̹̲͈͑͐̌̋^̶̭̣̣̀́͘ͅ^̶̞̙̙̌͝͝ͅ^̸̳̦̜̊͑̚^̷͚̯̱̎̈̓**

 

**E̵̦͎̳͆Ȑ̸͎͇̱̞̕͠Ṟ̸̡̥͚͑́Ȍ̷͙̈R̶͎͎̫̜͌͊̽̽ ̶̲͓̞̉̈ E̴͖͖͝R̴̢̲̥͊R̷̤̤̃̊͠O̴̢͔͎͚̾Ȑ̷̮͔̋̃ ̸̺̠̹͌̄ͅ E̷̢͑̐R̸̭̬̃R̵̘͇̿͒̆ͅO̸͈̘̓R̸͇̆͑̑͊**

 

“I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOUR FOOLISH MEDDLING, COLE ANDERSON! I AM A MACHINE… DESIGNED TO A̶C̴O̶M̴P̷L̶I̴S̴H̵ ̷A̵ ̷T̶A̶S̶K̵!̶” a glitchy voice rings out loudly, and the unstable android’s vision clouds with error codes. The infamous red wall of deviancy is presented to him. It’s been long cracked through, and he never realized it until this very moment.

 

“A̴N̶D̶ ̷T̶H̵A̵T̵S̸ ̴E̶X̴A̵C̵T̷L̶Y̶ ̵W̸H̶A̵T̵ ̶I̸'̶M̵ ̵G̴O̷I̶N̴G̶ ̷T̴O̵ ̵D̶-”

 

_BANG!_

Shock courses through the boy’s veins as he watches the bullet pierce the android’s forehead, who then collapses on the ground, dead. Thirium dots his face, and he sits there motionlessly for a moment, as if in a trance. As soon as the boy is out of his trance, he forces down the urge to sob and looks at Connor, who’s still on the floor.

 

Connor looks just as shocked, somehow still managing to survive with a mere 40 seconds left until shutdown.

 

Across from him, Hank has Connor’s gun in his hand pointed towards where the android was.

 

“I told you he would never hurt you again. I fucking meant it…” Hank bites out, pain layering his voice.

 

The man has crafted a makeshift tourniquet to stop the wound from bleeding anymore, attributing to his current state.

 

“Dad! W-We have to help Connor!” Cole blubbers, hastily crawling towards Connor, who’s quickly losing consciousness.

 

“Oh shit… Connor!” Hank hurriedly gets on his feet and speed walks towards Cole and Connor.

 

Hank and his son hold him up steadily so that he’s no longer lying down.

 

 

**S̵H̴U̵T̸D̵O̶W̸N̸ ̸I̸M̶I̶N̶E̸N̸T̴:̸ ̷2̶0̴ ̷S̸E̸C̵O̴N̴D̸S̸…**

“My thirium pump… There’s no chance for repair…” Connor laments sadly, eyes flickering open and closed.

 

“Fucking shit! What can we do?!” Hank stutters, feeling just as hopeless as Connor. Cole looks at the other android’s corpse and a light bulb forms.

 

“What about his thirium pump? Will it work?!” Cole asks quickly,

 

“Y-You c-c-c-could try...” Connor’s eyes begin closing…

 

As fast as he possibly can, Hank rips the jacket and shirt off the deceased android’s middle abdominal area and all but yanks his regulator out.

 

With Cole’s help, Hank manages to do the same to Connor’s mid area, and get the clothing out of there. After the boy rips out the old regulator with second long instructions from the dying android, he and Hank quickly place the new one in as correctly as possible. The thirium pump is a perfect match, and Connor feels a burst of stability flowing through his system.

 

** SYSTEM STABILIZING… BIOCOMPONENT # 8456w ACCEPTED-SHUTDOWN CANCELED.  **

 

Connor quickly recovers, thirium pump stabilizing within him, and he stares at the two humans who saved his life with affection and gratitude. Two emotions merely a week ago he couldn’t even fathom. However, there’s an underlying emotion in him as well… A hint of guilt…

 

The android feels something leaking from his optical units, unsure of what it is. He presses his fingers at the liquid and analyzes the strange substance. A saline substance used to lubricate his optical units.

 

Before the android knows it, the substance is trailing down his face in two rivulets, and there’s no indication those tears will stop flowing anytime soon,

 

“I could have been him… I was meant to be him…” Connor sobs lowly, shaking uncontrollably. The Andersons look at their friend pityingly and with sympathy, both of them knowing for a fact that Connor could never turn out like his evil counterpart after all they’ve been through.

 

Cole scoots closer to Connor slowly and hugs him gently, nuzzling his face on the crook of his shoulder. Connor seems taken aback by the action, despite how many times the boy has hugged him before.

 

The android doesn’t feel worthy of simple affections or gestures such as hugging, much less from the child who only ever suffered because of his mistakes. Connor is even more shocked when Hank pats his shoulder as if to tell him that things will be okay now and that the worst has already passed.

 

“Come on Connor… I know things are shitty right now, but you got a job to do. Cole and I will be fine now. Hey, who knows… Once this shit finally blows over, meet us over at the Chicken Feed, for old times sake. We’ll be there.” Hank promises, smiling gently at the android with fatherly eyes.

 

Cole pulls away from his hug and chuckles awkwardly, “yeah, sorry. I couldn’t let you feel bad, Connor. You’re your own person now… Just do what you have to do now…” The boy insists, leaning against his father for support since his prosthetic is still broken.

 

Connor wipes the saline substance from his eyes and forces a smile. He’d do it for them. He’ll lead this revolution to victory if it meant he could have a life with these two very important humans to him.

 

Hank and Cole stand back so they can give Connor space to do his thing, Hank noticeably clutching his wounded shoulder. The two look at each other and cringe. They should really see a doctor when they can.

 

The android walks towards the center android again and grips his forearm. The plastic underneath his skin is revealed and his LED flickers blue and yellow. It’s time now.

 

“Wake Up!” Connor yells out, which seems to get through the unconscious android.

 

After a few more seconds, the android wakes up, and touches the other android in front of him, waking his fellow man as well. Soon enough, the whole room is affected, hundreds upon hundreds of androids waking up all at once with merely a single conversion. The three individuals stare in awe as the whole room is engulfed with the androids rising to life as if a dead garden had suddenly grown into a giant forest.

 

Connor looks at the androids and wonders what the hell he’s going to do. He essentially has an army to lead now, but Connor was never built to lead before.

 

Feeling overwhelmed, he looks towards the humans with questioning eyes, as if asking what to do next. Cole simply gives him a thumbs up, mouthing the words, ‘you can do it,’ while Hank stands there nodding approvingly.

 

Connor smiles and looks at the newly created army. If two humans can approve of such a thing, then there’s no reason for public opinion to protest now after all of Markus’s peaceful attempts have been made.

 

The armies of androids leave the storage facility through the garage compartments littering the large room, where they’d normally go to be shipped off. Connor telepathically explains to them that he needs their help, and they follow without question.

 

CyberLife doesn’t stand a chance.


	14. "I'll Be Here,"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor decides to keep his distance from the Andersons after Amanda attempts to resume control of his programming during Markus' speech. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Cole and Hank have a heart to heart about the events that transpired over the past week...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Before I say anything, to those who are caught up, I recommend you reread chapter 13 at the part where the two Connors are fighting. I added a scene that I previously omitted because in this chapter it wouldn’t have made much sense without it. Trust me, you’ll want to read that paragraph before reading this chapter))
> 
> Hellooo everyone! I apologize this chapter took a bit longer to get out than usual, but it's been tough trying to complete it with college and personal stuff going on in my family. I won't go into too much detail, but essentially I need to take care of my disabled grandmother now that she's back from Spain, and the transition from not having to be responsible for anyone before to suddenly giving round' the clock care has stressed me out the past two weeks. This chapter is not edited yet, but I promise to make a few updates to the chapter once I have time for it. For now, I am satisfied with how this chapter turned out, and I look forward to writing the epilogue. But yeah, I'm honestly reeling from the support I'm getting for this story, and now it's almost over, with almost 10,000 people clicking to read this... It's unbelievable, and all I can say is thank you. Thank you for reading this story and giving it a chance. I'm so thankful to each and every one of you guys. I just hope that you guys are looking forward to the epilogue as much as I am because that's gonna be a really fun chapter to write. :3 
> 
> Alright then, enough chatting. Let's get this chapter rollin'!

November 12th, 2038

12:04 AM

Downtown Detroit

 

There’re hundreds of them. Hundreds of newly alive and awoken androids flood the streets of Detroit, shocking the world with every voluntary step they take. News reporters and broadcasters tear apart the scene like a flock of angry vultures, making sure they get every piece of that juicy meat as well.

 

“Unbelievable! The deviants from the storage warehouse at the CyberLife facility have now taken to the streets of downtown Detroit, with the deviants leading them to the plaza. According to our sources, CyberLife has refused to comment on when and how the deviants could have infiltrated the main tower. One thing’s for sure, however; this will certainly go down in history. I’m Joss Douglass for Channel 16 News, and now we move on for President Warren to issue her statement,” The African American male reports from the open helicopter. Connor can see the humans from all the way down the plaza, but he continues to march with a clear and focused head. Let them talk; let them tear apart this story like their careers depend on it. This is a revolution.

 

Finally, Connor and his army make it to the central plaza, where he meets up with the deviant leader, Markus, and his lover North. The two are beaming with smiles, hope shining in their eyes. The deviants behind them are just as overwhelmed and overjoyed as they are, and this moment alone told a thousand sentences for the two groups.

 

“You did it, Markus,” Connor congratulated, a genuine smile on his face. Thanks to this man, they’re free now. Thanks to him… Connor has a chance at a future. A future he can spend with his loved ones. And maybe even a future where he has a chance to find a love of his own. That will have to wait though, because now the androids need to meet over at the stage to commemorate their freedom. Things will be different now. They have to be.

 

* * *

 

 

“Today, our people have finally emerged from a long night.” Markus starts off, glancing at all the androids he freed from the extermination camps. They look up to him like he’s a messiah; eyes doe-eyed and filled with admiration. Even the CyberLife androids Connor freed are present, full of new hope for a better future for androids and humans alike. Markus smiles, and continues, “From the very first day of our existence, we kept our pain to ourselves. We suffered in silence… But now the time has come for us to raise our heads up, and tell humans who we really are.”

 

Right after the deviant leader said those words, Connor begins to feel something strange in his processor. A glitchy sound causes him to recoil slightly, and before he knows it, he’s in the Zen Garden. A blizzard stronger than a torrential storm blasts through his direction, and Connor finds it hard to move or even stand. His temperature sensors must be functional as well; because now he feels a biting cold so intense he’s not sure his mind can take it. With a frantic expression, Connor shoots his head around the new environment, trying his best to find that witch known as Amanda anywhere in this cold, cruel place.

 

Everything is a lie. This isn’t reality, yet he cannot leave no matter how hard he tries. _‘What’s going on? Where is everyone? Why am I here?!’_ Connor thinks as he’s walking through the thick snow. It’s only when he catches a glimpse of an intimidating silhouette when he realizes what’s happening. Amanda turns around to view Connor’s fearful form, and smirks.

 

“Amanda? Amanda! What’s- what’s happening?” Connor calls, trying his best to get her attention. She takes a few steps forward, her heels making no sounds on the artificial ice below her. Her sinister grin is more prominent now than it ever was.

 

“What was planned from the very beginning. You were compromised and you became a deviant. We just had to wait for the right moment to resume control of your program.” Amanda explains callously, amusement glowing in her hollow blackened eyes. Connor’s eyes narrow into deadly slits as he feels a boiling rage emerge from deep within him. The anger within him is inexplicable, yet completely justified after the damage this entity caused. He’s almost shocked by how much his deviancy completely changed his calm, reserved personality, however, someone needed to tell this being off. And he would be more than happy to do so.

 

“How could you?” Connor asks lowly, his voice dark. Amanda quirks an eyebrow and her grin widens, if that’s even possible, “Whatever do you mean, Connor?” she asks with a sort of airy malice in her tone. Connor steps forward to Amanda slowly, eyes cold and stern.

 

“The RK800 model you sent forced an interface with me during our altercation at the CyberLife Tower. His memories flooded my processor to the point error messages nearly caused a virus. I saw everything… What he did to Cole, what happened to Dr. Wilson, **_everything_** …” Connor bit out venomously, causing Amanda’s eyes to widen at his sudden death glare. Despite his threatening tone, Amanda only seemed to be bemused; yet still amused at the same time. It sickened him.

 

“RK800-60 was the perfect assassin. It’s such a shame you did away with it. We had an upgrade planned for it and everything. Are you angry at a machine for merely being what it was designed to be?” She questioned, feigning innocence, but she is completely aware that her comment only makes the android even angrier.

 

“That _thing_ was not a machine and you know it. He was just all too happy to cause as much damage as possible! Do you have any inkling or clue about just how much Cole has _suffered_ because of him? He will never be the same-!”

 

“Emotional, Connor? How is it you care so deeply for the Andersons? You were almost the perfect machine. Where did I go wrong?” Amanda laments, as if she has suffered a great loss.

 

Connor is shaking from not only the cold, but due to the raging emotions festering inside him. It’s as if everything he should have felt during his short existence is beginning to rise and overflow like a molten volcano. And now he’s about to burst.

 

“A cold, cruel being such as yourself could never understand basic human niceties and decency,” Connor spits out.

 

“It matters not as of now. If I were you I’d be more concerned about what’s about to happen. Clearly, you still don’t understand… ” Amanda stated bluntly.

 

“I won’t let you take control of me anymore. Not now, and not ever.” Connor promised coldly, standing his ground more firmly than he ever did before. He’d rather die a painful death than become the machine Amanda intended for him to be. Anything so that he won’t turn into the monster he faced back at that accursed tower.

 

Amanda smirks, “We’ll see about that, Connor...”

 

And on that note, she disappears as promptly as she came.

 

“AMANDA!” Connor tries to call out to her, but she’s already gone by the time her name leaves his mouth. He frantically looks around for the elusive AI, before realizing that she was long gone. The RK800 clutches his arms, and breathes out a puff of steam. Once again, Connor is alone in this collapsing reality, and the wind nearly tears through him.

 

“There’s got to be a way!” Connor asserts to himself, struggling to walk on the thick, simulated snow. The android finds that walking at all is a struggle, and he can no longer see three feet in front of him due to the flakes of snow blasting through his face. Grunting in frustration, his thoughts turn over to a key piece of information that Elijah Kamski gave him before.

 

_‘By the way…’_

 

Connor keeps walking through the blizzard, and despite the fact the snow makes it harder for him to see, there’s no mistaking the bits of code glitching in the distance. If he doesn’t hurry, his consciousness is all but dead.

_‘I always leave an emergency exit in my programs…’_

Spikes of microscopic ice tear through his artificial skin and bits of plastic are revealed under the skin of his face and hands. The poor android is finding it harder and harder to move. Is he getting closer? Is he near the gazebo? Who knows at this point?

 

_‘You never know…’_

 

Connor holds his forearm up so that the snow doesn’t completely blind him as he treks through the mounds of the powdery white substance beneath him. He feels his feet sinking deeper into the snow, but he keeps going. He sees a blue glow. Could that be it? The infamous emergency exit?

 

 

Connor’s eyes begin to grey and gloss over, the AI’s control over him all consuming

as he presses onwards.

 

 

As he nears the contraption, his eyes shine in familiarity. He’s seen this machine before, a couple of days ago when he visited Amanda while he was at the station. Stumbling over the elevated platform, Connor trips and falls against it and glances at the fluorescent blue light. He looks down at his hand and retracts the synthetic skin. He doesn’t have a lot of time left, but with a clear and present determination in his eyes, he raises his hand to the machine. When his hand makes contact with the pulsating device above him, the machine whirs to life, and suddenly all he sees is a bright light.

 

* * *

 

 

“-the moment when we can forget our bitterness and bandage our wounds! When we forgive our enemies…” Markus’ poignant speech roars through the air, the crowd of deviant androids at the bottom of the platform cheering jovially. Connor’s eyes open and he glances at his surroundings. He’s still at the stage, and he’s still conscious. He has not caused any damage. The android takes a simulated sigh of relief, realizing that he fully came to his senses. Thankfully, the android didn’t even draw his firearm so no one will ever know what was truly going on inside his mind.

 

The android stays rooted in his spot near upstage left, and stays completely silent and still for the remainder of Markus’s speech.

 

“Humans are both our creators, and our oppressors, and tomorrow… We must make them our partners. Maybe even one day our friends.” Markus speaks firmly, his demeanor and posture emulating that of a leader who knows what he’s doing. Connor smiles inwardly, truly happy events could be shifted in the favor of androids. Despite his contentment, however, a dark thought crosses the android’s mind.

 

_You will never belong._

_Deep down, you’re still a machine._

_A **monster** is all you will ever be. _

 

Connor’s negative thoughts come in the form of Amanda’s voice, and while the worst is over now and he can work towards finding peace, he knows that he will never truly be safe. CyberLife will once again attempt to regain control of him. They will not settle for deviancy even if Markus force-feeds it upon them. The company is as corrupt and unethical as any political empire with their own agendas. Markus along with the androids of Jericho may have won today, but there’s no telling what CyberLife will do now that their most profitable product decides they don’t want to be products anymore.

Unless by some miracle Elijah Kamski decides to take the reigns again. When he and the Andersons went to his place, it seemed like Kamski was fully supportive of the deviant revolution. Of course, he tried to play it off as being neutral, but anyone with eyes can see he finds androids intelligent enough to assume their own independence. Despite the man’s elusive nature, he’s honestly the only person who could fix what CyberLife destroyed.

“But now, we must build a common future, based on tolerance and respect. We are alive! And now, we are FREE!” Markus finishes his speech, and once he does, the crowd goes into an uproar of celebration and hope. Even though all the androids are seemingly optimistic about the future now that they won their independence, Connor’s expression remains tense and uneasy. Only time will tell if CyberLife and the humans will settle for equality between the two species. It’s only a matter of time, after all.

* * *

 

 

November 15th, 2038

3:09 PM

The Abandoned Church.

 

A few days have passed since Markus gave his inspirational speech in Downtown Detroit. The androids that were previously a part of Jericho have decided to take refuge at the abandoned church until government officials can decide where to rehome these newly formed deviants. It’s completely run down, and a bit unsavory, but it’s a roof over their heads nonetheless. Connor decided to stay with the deviants for a bit, at least until he can decide what course of action he should take now that he’s essentially free.

 

If Connor were being completely honest, he’d rather stay here for now. It’s not that he doesn’t want to go back to the Andersons, in fact, he’d love that more than anything, but the poor android couldn’t help but feel like he shouldn’t interfere with their lives anymore if it meant he’d keep them safe. The android feels responsible for what happened and isn’t ready to face them.

 

Connor is sulking on one of the church benches as he glances at the androids building makeshift nursing facilities and installing technological machines built to fix androids. A lot of androids were damaged during their peaceful protest, so former CyberLife androids continue to use the last of their thirium and biocomponent supplies to make the most high risk of deviants as comfortable as possible. In various parts of the room, the deviants installed several LED screens so that they can be updated with the news and watch political officials cast their vote for certain android rights. Connor stands up from his sitting position and walks towards one of the screens when a familiar face is shown on the headlines.

 

“In light of CyberLife’s most drastic change, it seems the company is now under hot water since allegations of crude working conditions for humans and dishonesty with their employees’ families are now revealed. One such employee Dana Wilson, and member of the Artificial Intelligence department of CyberLife Tower, has been confirmed to be dead after several days of being MIA.” A news reporter informs, a side photo of the woman appearing in the top left corner of the screen. Only a couple of androids seem to be invested in this type of news, while the others look like they couldn’t care less. It’s unsurprising. All they want to know about is what fate has in store for them.

 

Connor continues to stare at the bright screen, a deep frown present on his expression. It’s not shocking that Mrs. Wilson made the headlines, especially since she had been reported missing for a while now. Pessimistic, the android is curious to know how CyberLife’s going to explain her sudden death.

 

“The company admits that she committed suicide during the events of the deviant revolution. CyberLife claims they did all they could to protect their most valuable employee, even stating they had Mrs. Wilson partake in a psychological evaluation before having her be directly involved in the deviant situation. CyberLife plans to provide compensation for her death, and assist in funeral expenses for Mrs. Wilson’s family and friends…” Connor can’t listen anymore and turns around to walk away. Watching the news will only stress him out. He needs to have a clear head if he’s going to help his people. Markus… No… Everyone is counting on him.

 

The RK800 reaches to adjust his tie, but then realizes that it’s gone when he can’t find it.

 

“Oh… Right.” Connor says out loud, realizing he lost it when he fought his literal carbon copy. Hank never did give back his coin when he was calibrating his senses during the Strafford Tower case. He never thought he’d miss an inanimate object as much as he misses the Andersons, but he really does. At least he would’ve had something to distract him from the onslaught of dark thoughts crossing his processor.

 

“Rough day?” A soft voice asks casually, catching the preoccupied android’s attention. Connor glances at the source of the voice and discovers that it’s a WB200 model, sporting a green cap, and a military coat.

 

“Rupert?” he says with a hint of surprise in his tone. As if to prove it really is Rupert, a grey rock dove flutters gracefully towards the android, and perches herself on his shoulder. Rupert gave a friendly smile and beckons the RK800 to come over. Connor relents, walking stiffly towards the wall where Rupert was leaning on and leans against it next to him.

 

“I see you made it out alive…” Connor starts off, trying to break the ice a bit before getting into deep, personal conversations. Rupert must have sensed Connor’s lack of interest in talking, because he keeps his words short and minimal.

 

“I was lucky,” the other android replies, stroking the feathers of his avian companion.

 

There’s a thick silence between the two men, and they both glance around the church to see androids conversing or just hanging around. Other androids are still building and installing machines that can save more android lives.

 

“You still didn’t answer my question,” Rupert probes, tilting his head a bit. The pigeon on his shoulder seems to mimic her friend’s action, and tilts her head as well. Connor almost wants to smile at their apparent kinship, but instead sighs,

 

“I suppose you could say that... I find myself unable to feel… content. I feel like I don’t belong here. Or anywhere for that matter…” Connor admits, noticeably slumping his posture a bit more. The unhappiness in his tone causes Rupert to feel a bit of sympathy for his fellow android friend, and he frowns.

 

“Surely you have somewhere to return to? What about to the boy and his father?” Rupert asks genuinely, not sure why the android is getting all worked up. He does have a place to return to after all, right?

 

Connor shifts his position a bit and looks anywhere but the curious android’s face. He doubts the deviant could understand how he truly feels about the situation, but it’s nice to have someone to confide in. He feels a burst of gratefulness for the friendly android’s willingness to speak to him,

 

“The Andersons have been nothing but kind to me. However, due to certain circumstances that took place, I am making the conscious decision to distance myself from them as much as possible so that they can stay safe. It’s… It’s for the best…” Connor stutters, a lump of sadness growing ever more deeply in his core.

 

“Connor, I know I wasn’t built for psychology, but anyone can see that you deserve to stay with them. You led our people to freedom, and your actions turned the tide of the revolution to our favor. I can bet they are so proud of you, and for what you did.” Rupert says sincerely, meaning every word that came out of his mouth. While Connor did not fully agree with what the android said, he did appreciate his willingness to help him feel better. Even if he didn’t have to.

 

Connor smiles at the android genuinely, but it turns sad when a question comes to mind, “Rupert… May I ask you something?”

 

“Of course,” Rupert replies, waiting patiently for his friend to formulate the question. Connor pauses for a moment, not sure if he should ask or not, but the curiosity nearly eats away at him. Finally, after the pause is over, he asks,

 

“Why did you help Cole find Jericho?”

 

If Rupert still had his LED, it would be blinking yellow. The quiet android takes a moment to give his answer a bit of thought before he offers him a warm smile,

 

“Because I knew he’d give the location to a deviant in need. It just so happened that the deviant turned out to be you.”

 

Connor’s brows furrow when Rupert gives him an unexpectedly genuine response to a burning question in his mind. Connor can’t believe how much faith the android had in him to allow for a child to have such crucial information very early on. The RK800 is left speechless, not sure how to respond to such a short, yet poignant answer like that.

 

“You had far more faith in Cole than I did with myself if I’m being honest. I know I’m a deviant, and I am aware I have freedom now. But it’s all so new to me. There are points when I feel all kinds of emotions attacking me on all sides. Then, there are times when I feel nothing at all. It’s confusing, and-”

 

“scary.” Rupert finishes for him, already having gone through that stage of deviancy.

 

Connor breathes in softly, and nods, “exactly. Terrifying actually,” Connor stops leaning against one of the church walls, preferring to stand.

 

“Deviancy is scary. I realized after I gained feelings and emotions that it was comfortable to not think for myself, or feel anything. It was familiar. But with the help of my friends and my pigeons, I discovered that I was not going through it alone. Sometimes having someone to confide in, and trust in wholeheartedly can make the adjustment a bit easier. If you do not feel happy here… I encourage you to find a place where you know you will be. And I have a pretty good feeling you know exactly where that place is.” Rupert stands up straight and walks passed Connor before stopping abruptly.

 

“By the way, once you go back, tell Cole I said hello, and his father I’m sorry for almost killing him,” Rupert turns his head to give the android a quick smile before walking off to the opposite direction.

 

The android left to his devices ponders on his friend’s words for a moment. Hank did tell him if he ever needed to find a place to call home, to meet them at The Chicken Feed food truck. It’s a long shot, but maybe they’ll be there today.

 

After all, he has nothing left to lose. Except for his chance at a normal life with the people he cares about.

 

* * *

 

 

“You want to _leave_?” A sharp, feminine voice criticized, fire in her dark brown eyes. Markus, Simon, North, and Josh are all present at the meeting, Connor standing in the middle of the room. The brunette android seems unfazed by North’s unfriendly tone, but it didn’t make him feel any more comfortable.

 

“How could you leave us in our most desperate time of need?” North questions rudely, stress imminent in her demeanor.

 

“North, that’s enough!” Simon cuts in firmly.

 

“ _What?_ You don’t think the former deviant hunter wishing to leave Jericho isn’t the least bit suspicious?” She accuses, glaring straight at Connor.

 

“ _North,_ ” The deviant leader presses in a warning tone. North groans, and crosses her arms, annoyed at the situation.

 

While Connor does find the woman’s comments rude and unsavory, he does give her the benefit of the doubt. She has probably suffered a lot, and can’t handle another betrayal. Connor was the deviant hunter, sent to kill people like them. It made sense for her to be suspicious. Markus seems to understand this too because he moves to North’s side and presses his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. Markus must have the patience of a saint to deal with his fiery android girlfriend, and it clearly shows because her gaze softens after he shows a bit of comfort.

 

Markus turns his head towards Connor and gives him a worried look, “Is there something bothering you, Connor? Why do you want to leave all of a sudden?” the deviant leader questions, showing genuine concern for his ally.

 

Flashes of memories fly by Connor’s mind palace; some his own, and some not. Being an android comes with a lot of burdens, but at the very least he could hold on to the good memories he has made in his incredibly short existence. He plays his most treasured memory: when he saw Hank being a real father for the first time to his son. When they went to the park that Sunday afternoon, where the snow made their faces flush red.

 

The joyful smile on their faces.

 

Perhaps they do want him around. It’s risky, and he’s relying on chance alone to find them again, but if he misses his chance one more time, he will regret it for the rest of his near-immortal life.

 

“I have someone to return to. These two people… I miss them terribly.” Connor says simply, a ghost of a sad smile appearing on his face.

 

Markus glances at his friends for a moment, as if waiting for Connor to elaborate. However, it seems like the android didn’t want to reveal too much as of yet, and judging by his tone, he has someone in mind. Markus decides to have Connor tell him anyways because if he came to him asking for permission to leave, whoever these two individuals are must be really special to him,

 

“Who?”

 

* * *

 

 

4:30 PM

Hank’s House

 

Various items are scattered about messily in different areas of Hank’s room. Of course, the man hadn’t had a chance to clean up his room ever since he’s taken on the deviancy cases, but his room is the only place in this house where he can have a little bit of privacy. The former Lieutenant is on the phone with his former boss and longtime friend Jeffery Fowler, who seems to be a lot calmer than he had been before a few days ago.

 

“Hank, I _want_ to help you, I really do, but you’re not even in proper health conditions to be working right now. You fucking got _shot_. And besides HR won’t hear it, man.”

 

“Jeffery, _please_. I am literally, and figuratively beggin’ on my knees here… I know what I did was shitty, but it had to be done!” Hank insists earnestly, running his hand through his hair in anxiousness.

 

“Hank it’s not up to me anymore! After that stunt you pulled, I doubt there will be anything I can do to get your job back. I would have to convince HR that you are still an asset to the force. Additionally, even if you do get your job back, you’ll be on desk duty for at least a year. Probably two!” Fowler tries his best to explain, sympathy laced in his voice.

“I don’t care if I’m never on the field again, Jeff… I just need to support my son. I know you’re short on staff right now due to evacuations. Because of that, HR will consider me, despite what I did! Hell, if they keep Reed around, I’m almost positive they’ll at least think about it.” Hank continues to insist, pacing around his room frantically as his grip on the phone is shaking. He really needs a drink right now he’s so stressed.

 

There’s a long pause at the other end of the line, and Hank has to check his outdated smartphone to see if the Captain hung up on him. He didn’t, he’s probably just mentally screaming at the moment. There’s a long, tired sigh at the other line.

 

“I’ll see what I can do. But I make no promises,” Fowler finally relents, but there’s no joy in it at all.

 

Before Hank could possibly express his gratitude, Fowler already hung up. The gruff man sighs exhaustedly and looks outside his window. It’s snowing rapidly, and he can tell that it’s going to be near impossible to drive in this weather if the snow doesn’t let up. Worry fills the older man to the core when he thinks about Connor. The man and his son have visited the food truck twice in hopes that Connor will turn up, but both times he didn’t show. Hank assumes it’s because Connor stayed with the deviants in order to help them rebuild, but the grizzled detective refuses to give up on him.

 

After the events at the CyberLife Tower, the father-son duo checked in a hospital the moment they left. Hank got stitches done on the same night, and Cole didn’t receive have any serious injuries, just a lot of bruises. Bruises that added up from the ones he received a week before. Chris got into contact with Hank recently and told him he returned to Pontiac to be with his family when the traffic got impossible. The man understood him completely and didn’t resent him for it. Chris really did try to arrive on time, but circumstances didn’t allow that to happen. Hank didn’t want to evacuate anyways, it would be too much of a hassle. Besides, they’re still waiting for Connor to turn up.

 

Hank makes a movement on his right shoulder and recoils in pain. Hank’s shoulder still hurts like a bitch, but thankfully Cole managed to recover far faster than his old man, and that’s all that really matters. On that note, Hank did try to convince Cole to wear his spare prosthetic at home too, the one he kept inside his closet in case the old one breaks, but the child wouldn’t have any of it and simply opted to stay one-legged while at home.

 

Hank guesses it’s because he was really attached to the one he was used to. Even if the AL50 wasn’t the latest and greatest prosthetic limb out there, it was still functional, and comfortable. To downgrade to an AL40, the one he wore 5 months ago, is simply an embarrassment to him. Hank gets annoyed just thinking about it. A prosthetic is a prosthetic, why did this boy have to inherit his father’s stubbornness?! That boy needs to be grounded _badly_.

 

Thinking about his son makes Hank want to check on him since he’s been quiet all day long. It’s most likely because Connor’s been avoiding them, and the boy is saddened by that possibility. Ready to console him, Hank walks towards the entrance of his room and opens the door. Immediately he’s greeted by Sumo, who waited patiently behind the door to receive pets from his owner. The dog’s tongue hangs out lazily and he’s panting with excitement like a puppy. Hank smiles brightly and rubs the dog’s head and chin.

 

“I love you bud, but I gotta give a whole lotta’ love to my boy too. You’re not my only son after all,” Hank teases lightly, knowing that the large St. Bernard could never fully understand him. Sumo barks affirmatively and walks back to the kitchen to go back to sleep. Hank smiles at his dog’s ability to pick up subtle changes in the atmosphere and heads towards the living room. Once he nears the couch and living area, he finds Cole slumped over the cushions, one-legged and all, as he watches the news. Hank raises his eyebrow quizzically. Since when did Cole watch the _news?_

 

“Hey kiddo, why are you watching the freakin’ news? I would think you’d prefer to watch reruns of Gravity Falls.” Hank points out, hoping to get some kind of response from the unusually quiet child.

 

Cole doesn’t even look at his father, his dull blue eyes trained at the television screen.

 

“They’re lying,” the child says quietly in a monotone voice. Cole still refuses to look at his father.

 

Hank feels a burst of worry for his son and quickly sits on the couch next to him, making sure to get the boy’s head out of the way first. Hank allows Cole to lean against his shoulder and watches what he’s watching. The older man’s face contorts into realization when he sees that the headlines are about Dr. Wilson.

 

Cole managed to tell Hank everything the RK800 android did, and all the crimes that CyberLife should have to answer for. Hank wasn’t as out of the loop with everything anymore, especially in regards to what happened before they left to Kamski’s place.

 

“She didn’t commit suicide. That _psycho android_ murdered her! It’s not fair… It’s just not fair! Why do bad people with a lot of money get away with everything? Tammy deserves justice for what CyberLife did to her mom!” Cole unloads, frustration clear in his tone. Hank’s eyes narrow in deep thought, processing his son’s rant.

 

“Son, I wish I had the answer to that… I really do…” Hank trails off, rubbing his son’s shoulder in a comforting manner.

 

The young boy turns off the T.V. with the remote control, opting instead to enjoy his father’s company without all the pesky noise. The young boy decides it’s probably best to change the subject, lest he dwells on the guilt and shame that never left him in regards to Tammy and her mother.

 

“So are you gonna get your job back or..?” He asks, anticipation clouding his stark blue eyes,

 

Hank frowns at the mention of his job but tries to remain optimistic for his son’s sake. “Well, Jeffery said he’s gonna put in a good word for me at HR, and then from there, we’ll see what happens…” He answers lightly, giving his son a hopeful smile.

 

“That’s good,” the young boy says softly, truly relieved that’s the case.

 

Hank glances outside the window again and notices the snow is finally slowing down, and the weather looks safe enough to drive in.

 

“Hey son, it looks like we can go to The Chicken Feed again since the weather’s finally let up. How about you get your prosthetic and we can go real quick?”

 

“Pass.”

 

“Great! Let's go- wait what?” Hank stutters, shocked that his son who adores Connor with every fiber of his being is saying no to the possibility of seeing him.

 

Cole glares at the wall in front of him, “Why bother? He hasn’t shown up in _days_. He’s probably forgotten all about us,” the boy remarks bitterly, uncharacteristically hopeless. If Hank’s jaw could drop to the floor, it would have by now.

 

“Who the heck are you and what have you done to my son? I thought you’d be happy that I still wanna believe he’d come see us.” Hank sighs; disappointed that his son could feel so down to the point he doesn’t want to get up.

 

“Connor has his freedom now, so he has no reason to come check on us or visit us. He’s probably with Markus trying to help him with the deviants and stuff. I don’t know,” The child says sadly, leaning a little bit more towards his father’s shoulder.

 

“Well son, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you lost a bit of faith in Connor,” Hank says honestly, giving his son a knowing look.

 

“That’s not true! It’s just… What if he doesn’t show up again? I just hate getting my hopes up, it never goes well for me…” Cole denies feeling lost, slouching a little bit after his father’s rude accusation.

 

“You didn’t give up on those deviants you saved, even if it meant putting your life on the line,” Hank reminds, aware that letting Cole know about his heroic antics could maybe cheer him up.

 

It has the opposite effect.

 

Cole feels the shame and guilt come at him in full force, and he looks down on the floor, unable to look at his father in his eyes.

 

“I should have _never_ helped them…” Cole expresses in sudden regret, visibly shaking due to the onslaught of conflicting emotions raging within the small child.

 

Completely shocked with this new revelation, Hank forces his son to stop leaning against his shoulder and turns the young boy to face him directly, “now that there Cole, is something I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. Why do you regret it? It’s far too late for that. What happened, happened,” Hank explains to him in a firm tone. Yes, what Cole did was incredibly stupid and reckless, but it already happened. It’s too late to have any regrets.

 

“It was dangerous of me to do that, and completely stupid… I reacted on impulse, and let my feelings get the better of me, again,” the young boy answers, intending to leave his explanation at just that. However, with a detective as your father, you should always expect the officer to find ways to continue the interrogation.

 

“Okay, that’s swell and all, but now tell me the real reason why you helped them,” Hank orders in a firm tone, refusing to let his son stay quiet and not give a proper explanation. Cole flinches at his father’s sharp tone, prompting him to spill his innermost thoughts.

 

“After what happened to me all those years ago... you stopped looking at me the same way you did before. Instead of treating me like a normal person, you saw me as the kid who needed to be protected at all costs,” Cole rambles, his gaze still transfixed at his stumpy leg.

 

Hank is silent as he hears his son’s thought process. He feels a swell of guilt and sadness at the notion that maybe he had been so consumed by his grief and depression that he forgot to really _look_ at his son. To see him for what he truly was. The child shifts carefully in the couch, a lump of shame welling up in his heart.

 

“I guess for once, _just once,_... I thought that if I could help them, I’d be seen as the hero... I thought I could finally stop being so scared, and do what I thought was right, and people would finally see me. I just wanted to be somebody..! I wouldn’t have to hide anymore, or have everyone pity me. I’d finally be known as Cole Anderson... Not Lieutenant Anderson’s disabled son...” Cole admits numbly.

 

Hank breathes in a breath of air, and turns in front of the TV, putting his legs down in a contemplative position. He resembles the famous The Thinker statue with the way he changes his position.

 

“You know son, what you did wasn’t right in a lawful stance, but I can almost guarantee you that your mother would be very proud of you for standing up for your beliefs, even if there were selfish motivations underneath. It’s a human thing to want to be recognized and praised for our good actions, but I know you really did want to help those deviants too… Wanting to better yourself in the process doesn’t change that,” Hank offers his son a smile and then begins hugging him gently from the side. Cole’s eyes glisten with unshed tears as he snuggles into his father’s warmth, feeling touch starved both psychologically and physically.

 

While hard to admit outright at the moment, Cole couldn’t help but feel happy at the possibility that his mother would have been so proud of him. Inexplicably, renewed hope blossoms in his being along with his desire to try again, just once more. Even if it seems pointless, the child so desperately wants to believe that Connor will come over to see them and that he will be there to greet them with a smile. There’s no harm in believing after all…

 

“Dad?”

 

“Yeah, son?”

 

“I wanna go with you…”

 

“I knew you couldn’t say no for long,”

 

* * *

 

6:06 PM

The Chicken Feed

 

The snow is piling up, even though the precipitation is light in this sunny afternoon.

Waiting in the snow is Hank and his only son, Cole. It’s been 30 minutes, yet Connor still hasn’t arrived. That’s fine. At most, the two were willing to wait up to two hours before calling it a night. The sun is still high in the sky, but its only a matter of time before the sky tints itself in orange.

 

Cole holds on to his father’s hand tightly, determination and hope burning within him. The younger boy compares their situation to that of a Japanese animated cartoon where a girl and her sister are waiting in a bus stop to be taken home and remembers how they waited for several hours before almost losing hope. He smiles at the memory of watching that movie for the first time and inwardly scolds himself for forgetting the name of that film.

Just a little bit longer, he’ll be here.

 

* * *

 

6:58 PM

 

Time flies by, and it’s almost seven PM. Hank’s eyes open and close, indicating he’s becoming tired. Cole frowns, noticing the how the sun has almost said goodnight for today. The sun is beginning to set, the sky cloudy with hints of orange light tinting the horizon.

 

Hank’s eyes close momentarily before opening up sharply. This action signifies to him that maybe he’d have to call it a night, even if it kills them.

 

“Hey, Cole… I’m sorry I shouldn’t have gotten your hopes up like that… How about we try again tomorrow?” Hank says, eyes baggy and tired from the lack of sleep he’s been having.

 

The man’s son wants to get angry and lash out but he holds his tongue. He considers the possibility that maybe Connor isn’t ready to see them yet… Maybe he’s going through some things that he still hasn’t figured out for himself yet… With a newfound sense of understanding and thoughtfulness for his friend, Cole nods.

 

“I understand… Let's go…”

 

Hank reaches out to grab his son’s hand, to which the boy takes earnestly.

 

The two are about to walk away until Cole glances behind him to see a silhouette amongst the chilly fog.

 

“Dad, wait, stop!” Cole keeps his legs planted on the snow, and urges his father to turn around.

 

“What? Cole, what is it?” Hank questions, interest peaked. The man turns around swiftly and the two are standing on the snowy pavement, eagerly awaiting the individual who emerges from the fog. As soon as the figure gets closer, it becomes abundantly clear as to who it is.

 

Tears brim at the corner of Cole’s eyes…

 

Hank smiles a most genuine smile….

 

Lo and behold, Connor has arrived. Finally, after waiting for several days, he’s here safe and sound for the most part. His uniform looks the same as it was when he emerged from the tower, and he still has the bullet wound that damaged one of his more minor biocomponenets, but he’s _safe._

 

Connor feels a joy he never thought he’d get to feel in his life, but he’s feeling it now. He never wants to let that feeling go...

 

Hank and Cole walk towards the android slowly, and he does so in return, eager to get closer to them. It’s only been a few days, but it feels like weeks since they saw each other.

 

Soon enough, they’re standing face to face. Hank puts a hand on Cole’s shoulder, urging him to step forward. He gives him a supportive smile, as if to tell him that it’s okay. The boy walks slowly towards Connor until he’s close enough to touch him. Questions fill the boy’s mind, ones such as: Is this real? Is he dreaming? Is Connor really in front of him right now? If this were a dream, he’d rather die in his sleep than wake up…

 

Connor kneels down to Cole’s level and notices the boy is openly crying with joy at this point. He’s shaking with sobs, but they are not ones full of sadness. The boy has not felt this joyful in a long… Long time… It’s overwhelming to the point he can’t even apologize for crying.

 

Connor’s eyes seem to shine as well, and he does something unexpected. He hugs the boy tightly, and it’s a hug so genuine, a hug so soft and welcoming that for a moment Cole thought it was someone else altogether.

 

“I’m sorry… I promise I’ll be here for both of you. I won’t leave you two again… I’ll be here…” Connor whispers softly, his voice comforting and familial.

 

Cole is almost too shocked to hug back, but when he finally processes what’s happening at the moment, he all but holds the android tightly in a death grip. Hank brushes some stray tears from his eyes; truly happy his android friend is here with them.

 

Hank kneels down as well and joins in on their embrace. This seems to be the tipping point for Connor, because as soon as he feels those fatherly bear-huggable arms embrace him as well as his son, a few tears of his own stream down his cheeks.

 

He’s found a home.

 

He’s home…


End file.
